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‘Call CM Didi’: BJP attacks TMC over viral muscleman video at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital
Afsar Ali Khan, references his connection to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee when asked about his presence at the Kolkata's RG Kar hospital.
The BJP on Thursday hit out at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its leader Mamata Banerjee over a viral video circulating online. In the video, a muscleman is seen purportedly at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, where a trainee doctor was recently raped and murdered. The man menacingly states, “You can call CM Didi.”
The individual in the video, Afsar Ali Khan, references his connection to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee when asked about his presence at the hospital.
The video, purportedly from a year ago, features Afsar Ali Khan, whom the BJP has identified as a hospital staff member and associate of a TMC MLA and former RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh. In the video, Khan is questioned by Manas Kumar Bandyopadhyay, the then principal of the medical college, as well as other hospital officials, about his role and responsibilities.
Khan was asked why he did not regularly attend work, why he did not wear the guard's uniform, and where he was from. In response, he claimed that he was sent by “CM Didi.”
However, Hindustan Times could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
According to an India Today report, Bandyopadhyay served as RG Kar Principal for less than a month in 2023 before being succeeded by Sandip Ghosh.
The Bengal unit of the BJP's X handle claimed that Khan is “Sandip Ghosh's enforcer” from Belgachia, who has allegedly built an empire from syndicate money and showcased a ₹40 lakh car at RG Kar Hospital.
“Afsar Ali Khan, Sandip Ghosh's enforcer from Belgachia, has built an empire off syndicate cash, now flaunting a ₹40 lakh car at R.G. Kar Hospital. Last year, this muscle-for-hire was seen in the Deputy Superintendent's office, speaking with Dr. Manas Banerjee, the Principal. This is the ugly face of syndicate-fueled corruption—pockets lined, power unchecked, and the system rotting from within. How long will these syndicate kingpins keep hijacking our institutions?” Bengal BJP said.
Sandip Ghosh under CBI grill
Sandip Ghosh resigned following the rape and murder incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) on August 9. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently conducted a second round of polygraph tests on Sandip Ghosh as part of their inquiry into the case.
On Wednesday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) suspended the membership of Sandip Ghosh in light of the ongoing CBI investigation into the alleged crime. On August 25, the CBI's anti-corruption branch carried out searches at various locations linked to Sandip Ghosh and his relatives in Kolkata. The previous day, August 24, the CBI filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Ghosh following a directive from the Calcutta High Court. The investigation was initiated after the High Court ordered a probe into alleged corruption at the medical college.
The trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.
