West Bengal Junior Doctor’s Front holds protest march demanding immediate resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal against RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape & murder case, in Kolkata on September 2, 2024
| Photo Credit: ANI
As protests against the heinous rape and murder of a female doctor on duty at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital continue to swell, Trinamool Congress leaders including MPs and MLAs have come under fire for issuing threats and making derogatory remarks about protesters.
This development follows a public address by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on August 28 where she said it’s time for her supporters to “hiss” at political opponents and not to take insults lying down.
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In a video that has surfaced online, Trinamool leader and former councillor from Ashoknagar in North 24 Parganas Atish Sarkar was seen referring to Ms. Banerjee’s “hiss” comment and issuing threats to protestors.
“Those who are criticising the character of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, we will go to your house and put up lewd pictures of your mothers and sisters on your wall,” he was seen saying. “You will not be able to remove them.”
He also warned the public that they should remain safe, especially if the Trinamool Congress decides to “hiss”. “If we are out on the streets after dark, ready to hiss, do you think any of you can go home safely?” Mr. Sarkar said in his public address.
On Monday, the Trinamool Congress announced that Mr. Sarkar has been suspended from the party for a year.
Actor-turned-Trinamool MLA Kanchan Mullick also drew backlash from his Tollywood industry peers after his comments on protestors at a party-led protest at Konnagar in Hooghly district on Saturday. “Many people have said not to take donations for Durga Puja, it is their personal decision. But those who are on ceasework strike against the ruling party, will they take the government salary and bonus? Will you return the government award?” he asked.
On the same day, at another Trinamool-led protest site at Coochbehar’s Dinhata, North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha was heard encouraging party supporters to “sting back”.
“If they sting once, they will have to sting five times. If they implant one tooth, you have to arrange to implant five teeth in return. Only then the lies and the conspiracy to create this disturbance will stop,” Mr. Guha said in his public address.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Trinamool MP from West Bengal’s Barasat, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, apologised for a comment she made about female doctors on a talk show at a local television channel, following strong condemnation by the West Bengal branch of the Indian Psychiatric Society.
“This statement is demeaning to all the lady doctors of West Bengal to say the least and it questions their merit, hard work and sincerity towards the profession,” the letter by the Indian Psychiatric Society read.
To this, the MP responded on X saying “I am sorry for any statement made in the talk show, and apologise if my recent words have hurt anyone’s sentiments. I retract my statement. My intention has been and will always be to champion the cause of well-being and rights of women.”
Additionally, on Sunday, Trinamool MLA Lovely Maitra was caught on camera at a party-led protest at Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district mocking Communist Party of India -Marxist (CPIM) leaders like Sujan Chakraborty. ,
She claimed, “Leaders like Mr Chakraborty can wander around now, because in 2011 we created badal [change] not badla [revenge]. But in 2024, we will take revenge.” Her statement referred to the Chief Minister’s public address last week where Ms Banerjee had said that the time has come for the party to rethink its earlier slogan “Badla noy, badal chai [Not revenge, we want change]”.
On Sunday, Ms Maitra also said that the party knows how to deal with those who “point fingers” at the Chief Minister.