Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Abhishek Banerjee's ‘humble’ request to Trinamool members
Banerjee's remark came as the TMC suspended a party leader for making scathing remarks against the protesters and allegedly threatening them.
Abhishek Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress leader on Monday urged the party workers to “not speak ill” of any members from the medical fraternity and civil society who are protesting against the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Abhishek Banerjee's remark came as the TMC suspended a party leader and former councillor Atish Sarkar for making scathing remarks against the protesters and allegedly threatening them.
“Public representatives across party lines need to be more HUMBLE and SYMPATHETIC. I urge everyone in @AITCofficial not to speak ill of anyone from the MEDICAL FRATERNITY OR CIVIL SOCIETY,” the party's national general secretary wrote in a post on X.
Also read: TMC to boycott 3 TV channels for ‘anti-Bengal propaganda’ amid Kolkata rape row
Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party, Abhishek Banerjee said, “Everyone has the right to protest and express themselves. This is what sets West Bengal apart from other BJP-ruled states.”
In an apparent dig at the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, the national general secretary of the TMC wrote, “We have wholeheartedly fought against the BULLDOZER MODEL AND OPPRESSION TACTICS of politics.”
“…Now is the time for constructive actions to ensure such horrific incidents are not repeated. We must stand united in this fight and not stop until the perpetrators are punished and an ANTI-RAPE Time Bound law is enacted by both the states and union government,” Abhishek Banerjee added.
TMC suspends party leader
On Monday, the TMC suspended Atish Sarkar after a video of him allegedly threatening a group of protesters who were seeking action on the gruesome incident of rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical Hospital and College on August 9 in the state went viral on social media.
In the video, Sarkar can be heard saying: “I will make a distorted picture of your mother and sister and hang it on the door of your house. You will not be able to leave your house. Be careful, TMC men are on the streets…If we go to the neighbourhood, can you get out of the house?”
Earlier last month, West Bengal minister Udayan Guha had allegedly threatened to “break the fingers” of those abusing chief minister Mamata Banerjee on social media and demanding her resignation over the Kolkata rape and murder case.
Criticism over Mamata Banerjee's remarks
Mamata Banerjee recently faced massive criticism for her allegedly “provocative” remarks during the ongoing protests.
Condemning the BJP's 12-hour ‘Bangla Bandh’ last week, Banerjee said that it was an attempt to “defame” the state. She also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using his party to create unrest in the state.
“Some people think this (agitation) is similar to the protests in Bangladesh. I love Bangladesh, they speak like us (Bengal). Our culture is also the same. However, Bangladesh is a different country,” she said, referring to the student-led uprising in the neighbouring country that saw the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
“Modi babu, you are trying to create unrest in Bengal through your people. But remember, if you burn Bengal, Assam, the North-East, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Delhi will also burn,” she added.
Following this, a practising lawyer at the Supreme Court, Vineet Jindal, filed a complaint with the Delhi Police against Banerjee, arguing that the CM's statement was inflammatory, potentially inciting regional hatred and enmity, and thus posed a threat to national harmony and public order.
Banerjee also received a massive flak from the BJP, with some party leaders comparing her to North Korea's Kim Jong Un.
