Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has alleged that the Left Front and the BJP have conspired to launch the mob attack on the doctors at RG Kar Medical College who were protesting against the rape-murder of their colleague that has rocked the medical establishment across the country. The attack had taken place at midnight as women across the state had hit the streets as part of a "Reclaim the night" campaign. The attackers had vandalized part of the hospital and targeted the police, who had come to control the situation.
The attack has added to the barrage of allegations from the BJP and the Left, who have claimed that it was meant to destroy evidence - a charge the police have denied.
Mamata Banerjee hurled back the allegation at her accusers today.
"The Left and the BJP want to create unrest in Bengal and they both have come together to do this," the Chief Minister said. "The people who vandalised RG Kar Hospital yesterday... are outsiders, I have seen as many videos, I have three videos as I can see, in which some people are holding national flags, they are BJP people, and some are DYFI holding white and red flags," Ms Banerjee added.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, early this morning, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari had said: "Mamata Banerjee has sent her TMC goons to the apolitical Protest Rally near RG Kar Medical College and Hospital... They were given safe passage by the Police, who either ran away or looked the other way so that these lumpens would enter the hospital premises and destroy areas containing crucial evidence so that it doesn't get picked up by the CBI."
"As they were dumb TMC hooligans they couldn't execute the plan well and revealed their identity when they vandalised the Dharna Manch of the Resident Doctors, PGTs & Internees," he had added.
The allegation about destruction of evidence has come up several times over the last few days -- including over the delay in allowing the woman's parents to see her body and the renovation near the seminar hall, where the woman was found dead on Friday.
It resurfaced today as the group of 40-odd people vandalised the emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store. They damaged CCTV cameras and ransacked a stage where the junior doctors had been holding their protest. The police had to use batons and teargas shells to control the situation. The Kolkata Police said 15 policemen were injured.
Nine people have been arrested so far.
Ms Banerjee praised the police for their restraint: "Yesterday, police were attacked... Among them was one Deputy Commissioner (DC) who was there for security purposes, and two Officer-in-charges (OCs). For one hour, they couldn't be found, and when they were found, they were unconscious and had blood oozing out from their heads. I informed the police at 3 am and had them taken to the Apollo Hospital".
"I would like to congratulate them that they did not lose patience, they did not hurt anyone," she added.