Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has for years been known as the bête noire of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. With the Kolkata doctor-rape and murder case pushing Banerjee’s government into a corner, Chowdhury, wearing an all-black attire, launched a protest on Thursday. Several civil society organisations also hit the streets in Kolkata against the rape-murder case at RG Kar Hospital this month that has sparked outrage nationwide.
In an exclusive conversation with News18, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that Mamata Banerjee was trying to pass the buck but it was time for her to take moral responsibility and resign. Edited excerpts:
What’s your position on the RG Kar Hospital case?
It’s a heart-wrenching issue which has now become global. This kind of unprecedented agitation I have never witnessed in my career. It is a people’s movement, nothing else. We do not have any serious role in it. I am here on behalf of my party, only to extend our moral support to those agitators in compliance with their demands. I support their demands and the victim’s parents’ demands too. They only want justice, nothing else. There is no illegitimate demand. There is no harm in it.
Is the Congress against Mamata Banerjee on this?
Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have flagged attention to this issue. Rahul Gandhi’s stand is very clear on this; we always condemn such crimes in any part of the country. This case is shocking. The Congress stand is clear on this. The agitation is widespread.
Mamata Banerjee has said this unrest will spread to other states and Delhi too. How do you feel about that?
I don’t know what kind of reaction she has given. She knows better how to create a fuss. How does this incident have a relation with other states? She is trying to divert the issue. Now she is passing the buck to the CBI. Her government should help the CBI. She is good at passing the buck to save herself.
She is apparently planning to bring a new anti-rape law. Would that be good?
This movement has rattled her and dented her popularity. She now wants to save her face, and that’s why she is asking for capital punishment. Rape and murder have become common in Bengal. She is trying to show that she is trying to get justice. In our legal system, there is ample opportunity to punish the guilty. Nirbhaya’s rapists got punishment. There is a mechanism to give punishment. On the one hand, her administration is trying to wipe out and tamper with evidence. The day when thousands of people were protesting on the roads, her party’s goons tried to destroy the crime scene in the presence of police. She promoted the accused person. He got a job in another college.
Why would they tamper with evidence?
She does not want such a heinous crime under her leadership to fully come out. She being a woman CM proposes Rs 10 lakh for the victim’s family. They refused but she wanted to buy them. What is this? They want justice, she is playing tricks.
Will this movement go on?
The movement is effective, that’s why she is rattled. What’s the point of this law she will make? This rape is not the first one.
Do you think President’s rule should be imposed in the state?
I am not going into this. The central government will decide.
Will you meet doctors who are unhappy over this case?
We are giving moral support to doctors. They are apolitical. We will be with them always. Mamata Banerjee should resign. It’s her failure as the health and home ministries are under her.
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