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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of intimidation and a cover-up in the wake of protests by doctors seeking justice for an alleged rape-murder victim in Kolkata. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, during a press conference, alleged that Banerjee's administration has adopted a series of tactics to stifle the investigation and protect the accused, including obstructing the investigation, compromising evidence, and ultimately issuing veiled threats against protesting doctors.
Trivedi pointed to Banerjee's statement that she did not want any further FIRs registered in the case, as it would jeopardize careers and make it difficult for those involved to obtain passports and visas. He argued that this constituted an attempt to intimidate doctors and prevent them from seeking justice. Furthermore, he criticized Banerjee's suggestion to hold elections in the state, labeling it as a sign of the West Bengal government's frustration and a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the real issues at hand.
The BJP leader asserted that the pursuit of justice for the victim was not an electoral matter but rather a fundamental obligation to ensure evidence is presented in court and the guilty parties are punished. He emphasized that justice should not be determined by elections, and expressed concerns about the dangerous implications of allowing those in power to influence the course of justice. He also highlighted the striking contrast between the response to previous strikes in the state and the current situation, where the ruling party actively works to maintain businesses open during a bandh, highlighting a potential conflict of interest.
Trivedi further alleged that the West Bengal government has a history of violence and has been reprimanded by the Calcutta High Court for such behavior. He cited the recent threats made by state ministers, Udayan Guha and Arup Chakraborty, against those who challenge the Chief Minister, as evidence of this ongoing pattern of intimidation. He also pointed to the words of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who had previously claimed that there was no democracy in West Bengal, suggesting that Chowdhury's observations were now being validated by current events.
The BJP leader also raised serious questions about the handling of the rape-murder case, accusing the state government of protecting the perpetrators and actively working to destroy evidence. He questioned why the case was not handed over to the CBI, and criticized Banerjee's emphasis on capital punishment as a diversionary tactic to distract from the real issues. He called for a clear explanation of the conviction rate in rape cases under Banerjee's government and questioned how many perpetrators had actually been executed under her administration.
Finally, Trivedi accused the INDIA alliance partners of complicity in the alleged cover-up, highlighting the fact that Kapil Sibal, a Rajya Sabha MP and former Congress Minister, was serving as the legal representative for the Trinamool government. This accusation further reinforces the BJP's assertion that there is a concerted effort to protect the perpetrators and obstruct justice in this case.
Source: President’s statement on crimes against women reflects gravity and depth of issue: BJP