NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo member Subhashini Ali called for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to resign following the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the state.
Ali also suggested that Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw should resign due to the numerous rail accidents that have occurred in recent years.
The post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. The family has alleged that the victim was raped and murdered.
“The case has been handed over to the CBI… We hope the truth comes out, as it seems Mamata Banerjee has close relations with the head of the medical college. After he resigned, he was appointed as the head of an even larger college within four hours, which raises questions,” the CPI (M) leader told ANI.
Subhashini Ali criticised the Kolkata Police for initially describing the incident as a suicide to the victim’s family and questioned the quick repair and painting work at the crime scene soon after the incident.
“When the Kolkata Police recovered the body, they told the family that she had committed suicide, which seems unlikely given the condition in which the body was found,” she said.
“And then, soon after the incident, the area where it happened was repaired and painted. Why? For years, no repairs or painting were done, but suddenly it started right after the incident. The state government should be questioned. This is why junior doctors are still protesting, and patients are worried,” she added.
Ali also criticised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders who are demanding CM Banerjee’s resignation while ignoring their own ministers’ accountability.
“Many are demanding the Chief Minister’s resignation, and it should happen. But why does the Railway Minister not resign when rail accidents occur almost every week? Calling for the resignations of others while ignoring your own ministers is not justified. Action should also be taken against the one who appointed the head of the medical college to a larger institution within four hours. That person should also be investigated by the CBI,” she said.
The Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Prof. (Dr.) Sandip Ghosh, offered his resignation, following calls for his removal by protesting doctors.
Meanwhile, doctors across the nation continue to protest, demanding justice for the murdered and allegedly sexually assaulted post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor.
Protests were held on Wednesday in Kolkata, Guwahati, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, with demonstrators carrying placards that read, “Justice needs to be served,” “No duty without security,” and “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
In Assam, Dr. Kumar stated they were demanding the swift arrest and punishment of the accused.
“This is a solidarity protest. A protest has been ongoing in West Bengal for 3-4 days now and has spread across India. Our colleague at RG Kar Medical College was assaulted and murdered while on duty,” Dr. Kumar told ANI.
He added, “We urge the West Bengal Government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to arrest the accused quickly and ensure they are punished according to the law.”
CBI sources indicated that a special team of medical officers and forensic experts from Delhi arrived at the crime scene.
The CBI took over the investigation as ordered by the Calcutta High Court, after arriving in Kolkata on Wednesday.
The OPD services at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital remained closed on Wednesday as junior doctors, alongside the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), continued their nationwide shutdown of OPD services in protest over the incident.
The August 9 incident has sparked widespread outrage and led to protests within and beyond the medical community.
