The Crossbill Team
Political tensions around the RG Kar hospital case have resurfaced in West Bengal’s electoral arena, with fresh controversy triggered by the victim’s mother joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and reportedly preparing to contest the upcoming Assembly elections.
The case, which had sparked widespread protests across the state, had seen significant participation from Left activists, including Minakshi Mukherjee, whose confrontation with the police during demonstrations became widely circulated. The development has now drawn sharp reactions from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership and general public at large.
CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Salim criticised the move, alleging ideological influence behind the victim’s family’s political decision. He said that the victim’s mother was “repeating rhetoric influenced by the RSS,” Hindustan Times Bangla reported.
Referring to the incident, Salim said, “The rape and murder of a doctor inside a hospital premises was unprecedented and deeply disturbing. Attempts were made by the hospital authorities, the health department and the All India Trinamool Congress to suppress evidence.”
He further claimed that the CPI(M) was among the first to raise the issue, approach the courts, and highlight irregularities in the investigation, including the manner in which the postmortem was conducted.
“The Left-affiliated student and youth organisations had stood by the victim’s family during the protests,” Salim said questioning whether the BJP or RSS had played any comparable role in seeking justice.
He added that investigative findings by the CBI did not substantially differ from those of the Kolkata Police.
At the same time, he struck a more cautious note on the family’s electoral decision, saying that contesting elections is a personal choice. He maintained that the party had never asked the family to join it and had only extended support in their pursuit of justice, while appealing to them to avoid being drawn into partisan politics.
The victim’s mother, however, had defended her decision to join the BJP, citing concerns over women’s safety and corruption in the state. She said she had initially resisted political involvement but eventually decided to step in, expressing her intent to contest elections in order to challenge the ruling establishment.
According to reports, she is likely to be fielded from the Panihati constituency, a seat traditionally considered a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress. The party has nominated Tirthankar Ghosh for the upcoming polls, replacing long-time MLA Nirmal Ghosh, who has represented the constituency since 2011 and had earlier won from the seat under different party affiliations.
With the possibility of a direct contest between the victim’s mother and the Trinamool candidate, the Panihati seat is shaping up to be a politically charged battleground, reflecting how a case that once united public outrage is now intersecting with electoral politics in the state.
The case, which had sparked widespread protests across the state, had seen significant participation from Left activists, including Minakshi Mukherjee, whose confrontation with the police during demonstrations became widely circulated. The development has now drawn sharp reactions from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership and general public at large.
CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Salim criticised the move, alleging ideological influence behind the victim’s family’s political decision. He said that the victim’s mother was “repeating rhetoric influenced by the RSS,” Hindustan Times Bangla reported.
Referring to the incident, Salim said, “The rape and murder of a doctor inside a hospital premises was unprecedented and deeply disturbing. Attempts were made by the hospital authorities, the health department and the All India Trinamool Congress to suppress evidence.”
He further claimed that the CPI(M) was among the first to raise the issue, approach the courts, and highlight irregularities in the investigation, including the manner in which the postmortem was conducted.
“The Left-affiliated student and youth organisations had stood by the victim’s family during the protests,” Salim said questioning whether the BJP or RSS had played any comparable role in seeking justice.
He added that investigative findings by the CBI did not substantially differ from those of the Kolkata Police.
At the same time, he struck a more cautious note on the family’s electoral decision, saying that contesting elections is a personal choice. He maintained that the party had never asked the family to join it and had only extended support in their pursuit of justice, while appealing to them to avoid being drawn into partisan politics.
The victim’s mother, however, had defended her decision to join the BJP, citing concerns over women’s safety and corruption in the state. She said she had initially resisted political involvement but eventually decided to step in, expressing her intent to contest elections in order to challenge the ruling establishment.
According to reports, she is likely to be fielded from the Panihati constituency, a seat traditionally considered a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress. The party has nominated Tirthankar Ghosh for the upcoming polls, replacing long-time MLA Nirmal Ghosh, who has represented the constituency since 2011 and had earlier won from the seat under different party affiliations.
With the possibility of a direct contest between the victim’s mother and the Trinamool candidate, the Panihati seat is shaping up to be a politically charged battleground, reflecting how a case that once united public outrage is now intersecting with electoral politics in the state.
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