The political slugfest over the grisly killing of a doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital ramped up Friday evening after Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated claims the CPIM and BJP, unlikely allies, orchestrated violence and vandalism at the institution early Thursday.
Ms Banerjee - at the centre of crosshairs as the Chief Minister and in-charge of the Home and Health ministries - accused the rivals of trying to obscure the truth behind the rape and murder.
"We want the truth to come out but some are spreading lies to mislead people. Attempts are being made to hide the truth by circulating fake news on social media. We condemn these activities. We want the culprits to be punished," she said at a rally at which she demanded the death penalty for the guilty.
"The nexus between the Left and BJP should be exposed. CPIM and BJP are behind the vandalism of RG Kar Hospital. They vandalised the hospital to destroy evidence..." she claimed.
"Left and BJP want to create unrest in Bengal... they have come together to do this. The people who vandalised the Hospital are outsiders... I have seen many videos," the Chief Minister alleged, declaring people could be seen holding BJP and CPIM party flags in those videos.
The BJP has counterattacked by trying to invert Ms Banerjee's narrative, claiming it was her party, in fact, that sponsored the attack on the hospital.
"Mamata Banerjee sent goons to the apolitical rally near RG Kar Hospital. They were given safe passage by police, who either ran off or looked the other way," Suvendu Adhikari, once Ms Banerjee's close aide, said on X.
While the BJP is an implacable public enemy of Ms Banerjee's Trinamool, the CPIM is a member of the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc. The Trinamool is also a member of that bloc, although the relationship between itself and the Left party and the Congress is fragile.
The three failed, quite spectacularly and publicly, to find common ground while discussing seat-sharing during the April-June Lok Sabha election, resulting in the INDIA bloc fielding candidates against Ms Banerjee. The BJP, though, couldn't capitalise on this rift, losing to the Trinamool.
On Wednesday Ms Banerjee also snapped at the Congress, hours after Rahul Gandhi's acerbic comment about the handling of the case by the "local administration".
READ | "Want To Ask Congress...": Mamata Snaps At Ally In Rape-Murder Case
She also complained of a "plethora of heinous crimes" under the CPIM rule.
Mr Gandhi had earlier said "the attempt to save the accused, instead of providing justice to the victim, raises serious questions about the hospital and local administration".
The Chief Minister and her government have been under heavy fire since the doctor's body was found in a seminar room of the hospital on August 9.
The doctors' parents have made multiple allegations against hospital administration and the police, prompting the Calcutta High Court to overrule the Chief Minister's seven-day deadline to the cops and hand the case to the CBI. The CBI has since also been directed to submit an interim report into the vandalism; the court this morning demanded to know how the police allowed a mob of 7,000 to gather.
READ | "Prove With Pics Crime Scene Intact": Court To Bengal Over Hospital Vandalism
Kolkata Police have repeatedly and firmly denied any impropriety on their part, insisting their investigation was conducted in accordance with the rules and in a transparent manner. They have, though, admitted to an "assessment failure" with regard to the hospital vandalism.
READ | "Assessment Failure": Kolkata Police Commissioner On Vandalism At Hospital
The police have also pointed to 25 arrests made in connection with the vandalism. However, in comments that may upset Ms Banerjee's claims, the cops said many of those arrested said "they came on their own". "... but we are verifying is there was any conspiracy," a senior cop said.
Ms Banerjee has defended the state police force, pointing out they had collected forensic evidence, recorded statements, conducted an autopsy, and arrested a suspect within days.
READ | Mamata's Sunday Ultimatum To CBI For Death Penalty In Rape-Murder
She has also handed the CBI an ultimatum of sorts, daring the federal agency to complete an investigation that, she claimed, is 90 per cent complete, thanks to Kolkata Police.
The doctor's murder has also triggered massive protests from the medical community, both in Bengal and across India. The High Court has taken notice of these protests and demanded that the state government provide better protection to doctors and healthcare workers.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first public (but indirect) comment on the Kolkata doctor murder case. During his Independence Day address to the nation he called for the strictest possible punishment for crimes against women... to create faith in society".
Never far from the headlines, the spectre of violence against women has also reared its ugly head in Rajasthan and Uttarakhand in recent weeks. In the latter state a nurse was raped and killed and, in the former, a husband tied his wife to a bike and dragged her behind him for wanting to visit her sister.
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