Facing severe criticism over the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a stark warning about the potential consequences of ongoing unrest in the state.
Instead to taking responsibility of the law and order situation in the state, while speaking at an event marking the foundation day of the Trinamool Congress’s student wing, Banerjee cautioned, “If you burn Bengal, then the North East, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, and other states will also face the flames.”
She continued, “Some people are thinking, this is Bangladesh. Please remember, I love Bangladesh—they speak like us, and their culture is the same as ours. But remember, Bangladesh is a separate nation and India is a separate nation. Modi, you’re using your party to cause fire over here. Remember, if you burn Bengal, Assam, North-East, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Delhi too shall burn! We will topple your chair.”
It is noteworthy that Banerjee is the CM of Bengal, a state that shares almost 2200 kilometres of boundary with Bangladesh and is facing infiltration issues along with illegal trade and others.
Reflecting on her governance philosophy, Banerjee remarked, “When we came to power, we used the slogan, ‘Badla noy, bodol chai’ (We want change, not revenge). Today I’m telling you something different: do what you think would be the best. I don’t want violence, but if someone is plotting against you and biting you, you may not bite them back, but you would at least hiss at them, is it not?”
Citing a story of a snake and Ramakrishna Paramhans, she added, “A snake asked Ramakrishna Paramhans, sire, you forbade me to bite anyone, but there are many who throw rocks at me, bleed me. I’m hurt. To which Ramakrishna Thakur replied, ‘I’ve asked you not to bite, but you can always hiss at them. Your job is to remove the mask of those who plot against us and hiss at them. Learn to hiss at them.’”
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government has been under fire ever since the discovery of the postgraduate trainee doctor’s body in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its criticism, accusing Banerjee of shielding those behind the crime and demanding her resignation to ensure an impartial investigation.
During a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia voiced the party’s concerns, stating, “Whatever is happening in West Bengal is worrisome. It’s akin to tearing the Constitution to shreds. It’s clearly visible that if at all there is a dictator in the country, it’s Mamata Banerjee.”
The BJP is observing a 12-hour “Bangla Bandh” across West Bengal in protest against police action during the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ rally. The bandh has partially disrupted daily life, with BJP workers attempting to halt rail and bus services, prompting police intervention. Schools and colleges remain open, but attendance has noticeably dropped. TMC workers have organised counter-protests, leading to clashes between the two parties.
Several BJP leaders, including Locket Chatterjee, Rahul Sinha, and Roopa Ganguly, were detained by the police. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, joining the protests in Nandigram, declared that the party would “stall” West Bengal if police “repression” continues.
Chief Advisor to the CM, Alapan Bandopadhyay, stated, “The government will not allow any bandh on Wednesday. We urge people not to participate in it. All steps shall be taken to ensure that normal life is unaffected.”
Over 200 people were arrested, and several were injured as police cracked down on protesters attempting to march towards the state secretariat, demanding Mamata Banerjee’s resignation. The rally, organised by the newly formed student body ‘Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj,’ was in response to the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor on August 9.
Meanwhile, the CBI will consult medical experts from AIIMS Delhi to determine if the main accused, Sanjay Roy, acted alone. He is currently in judicial custody, with the CBI investigating the crime alongside financial irregularities involving the former principal of RG Kar Medical College, Sandip Ghosh. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also launched a money laundering probe against Dr. Ghosh, based on the CBI’s FIR.
