Bengal Governor meets Amit Shah, discusses Kolkata rape-murder case
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose met Union Home Minister Amit Shah today to discuss the recent developments in the state, including the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital in Kolkata.
The Governor is expected to provide detailed information on the current situation in West Bengal.
Protests erupted nationwide, particularly in Kolkata, over the trainee doctor’s rape and murder, with protesters demanding swift action in the case.
In Kolkata, protesting university students led the crowds, on August 27, in breaking through barricades set up by security forces to demand the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her handling of the case.
The governor arrived in Delhi yesterday evening for the scheduled meeting.
Last week, Governor CV Ananda Bose also met with President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to brief them on the RG Kar incident and the subsequent events that unfolded in the state.
The body of the woman postgraduate trainee was found in a seminar hall at the hospital on August 9 morning. A civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, was arrested the next day in connection with the crime.
The Kolkata Police and hospital administration have been subjected to severe criticism for their handling of the trainee doctor's case, with the Supreme Court highlighting the 14-hour delay in filing of the FIR.
The case is now being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
On Thursday morning, Mamata had to issue a clarification to underline that she supports the movement of doctors and students for justice and security.
Apart from the agitating doctors, students and civil society members, the activists of the Opposition parties, including the BJP, CPI(M)-led Left and Congress, have hit the streets to participate in protests to seek justice for the victim besides demanding safety of women.
The junior doctors at the state-run hospitals have also continued with their strike for three weeks.
"Smarting from the repercussions of the August 9 outrage, Mamata has scrambled to tackle it," says a piece in 'Indian Express' - a newspaper known for anti-BJP rhetoric quite often and has even in the past lionised Mamata's so-called Muslim-friendly Sickularism.
After several days of silence, Mamata took the stage on Wednesday on the foundation day of her party’s student wing, TMC Chhatra Parishad, to hit back at her detractors, talking tough against them. On the occasion, she shared the dais with the TMC’s second-in-command and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is said to have reservations on the manner the state administration has handled the rape-murder case.
The CM went on the offensive against her political opponents, particularly the BJP, even as she fought shy of attacking the protesting doctors, students or common citizens.
Her remarks that attempts to spread the Bangladesh fire in her state will not spare Assam, Bihar, Manipur or Odisha drew severe criticism from the CMs of the BJP-ruled states.
On Thursday morning, Mamata had to issue a clarification to underline that she supports the movement of doctors and students for justice and security. She posted a detailed statement on X to debunk allegations that she had sought to “threaten” the junior doctors.
“Not uttered a single word against students or their movement, I have spoken against BJP because they are trying to create anarchy,” Mamata stated. “I detect a malicious disinformation campaign in some print, electronic and digital media which has been unleashed with reference to a speech that I made in our students’ programme yesterday (Wednesday),” she said.
“Let me most emphatically clarify that I have not uttered a single word against the (medical etc.) students or their movements. I totally support their movement. Their movement is genuine. I never threatened them, as some people are accusing me of doing. This allegation is completely false,” the CM said.
“I have spoken against BJP. I have spoken against them because, with the support of the Government of India, they are threatening the democracy in our State and trying to create anarchy. With support from Centre, they are trying to create lawlessness and I have raised my voice against them.” Mamata said.
“I also clarify that the phrase (“phonsh kara”) that I had used in my speech yesterday is a quote from Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. The legendary saint had said that occasionally there is need to raise one’s voice. When there are crimes and criminal offences, voice of protest has to be raised. My speech on that point was a direct allusion to the great Ramakrishnite saying,” the TMC chief added.
Addressing the TMC Chhatra Parishad event, Mamata had urged the striking doctors to return to their work. “We did not take action when junior doctors were on strike across the country. That’s because I think their movement is justified. They want justice for their friend. But in Delhi they filed an FIR against the doctors. But the Supreme Court said that those who have not yet joined the work should not say anything, then left it to the state.”
Then she added, “The Supreme Court on that day empowered the state to take action. I don’t want to do it. Because they should study well. I file an FIR against someone, his or her life will be ruined, will not get passport, visa. We don’t want to do that. We are the only government, which has created ‘Rattirer Sathi’ (scheme for safety of women who work on night shifts).”
Mamata also said, “Ami kakhono badla chaini… Aj bolchhi… jeta kora dorkar, seta apnara bhalo bujhe korben.
Ami oshanti chai na… kintu je kutsa opoprochar kore apnake roj kamrachchhe, apni take kamraben na… Kintu phosh to korte paren. (I never wanted revenge. But now I say, you will understand well what needs to be done. I don’t want trouble. Today, you will understand what needs to be done. But the ugly, slanderous one that bites you every day, you don’t bite him but you can hiss at him.)”
Following her statement, a protesting doctor said, “We are not afraid of what Chief Minister said. Our movement will continue until we get justice. We are not doing politics and also will not allow any political flag.”
Mamata’s clarification triggered more fireworks from the Opposition, which has kept their guns trained on her government for allegedly failing to ensure women safety and for cracking down on democratic protests.
BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said, in a statement on X: “Don’t mince your (Mamata’s) words. There’s no malicious disinformation campaign against you.
The media is calling spade a spade. You have threatened the agitating medical students & junior doctors and warned them about taking action against them if they continue their agitation.
You even tried to scare them of the dire consequences including their career getting hampered if you lodge FIR against them.”
Adhikari also alleged, “Moreover you (Mamata) have issued threat to create anarchy in Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, entire North Eastern India, UP and even creating unrest in Delhi for toppling an elected government.”
Reacting sharply to Mamata’s remarks, senior Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury said, “TMC’s hiss and bite, both will not work. We will break their poisonous teeth.”
CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “She (Mamata) is caught now, and out of fear she is trying to threaten junior doctors and protesters, but they are not afraid.”
"...whether events take a positive or a negative direction, either way, we will react," says Foreign Minister Jaishankar on India-Pakistan relations
Speaking on Pakistan at a book launch event in Delhi, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says, "The era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over. Actions have consequences. So far as J&K is concerned,
"Article 370 is done. So, the issue is what kind of relationship we can contemplate with Pakistan.....
"What I do want to say is that we are not passive, and whether events take a positive or a negative direction, either way, we will react."
On India-Bangladesh:
"We have to look for neutrality of interest"
"I actually was struck by .....description. He says Bangladesh is India locked and our northeast is Bangladesh locked. And that in a way is a kind of, I would say, a sort of assessing summary of one important aspect of our relationship. Now, all of you are also aware that with Bangladesh, you know, since its independence, our relationship has gone up and down. And it is natural that we will deal with the government of the day...", Jaishankar said.
"But we also have to recognise that there are political changes and political changes can be disruptive. And clearly here we have to look for neutrality of interest".
"Where Sri Lanka is concerned, again, Rajiv brings out the suspicions of history, of recent history.
And I would say this is one relationship where the Modi government, frankly, had a somewhat difficult inheritance. And, you know, a lot of our challenges were how to reassure without in any way diluting our interests in that relationship...", Jaishankar said.
