Mamata govt shaken by Nabanna rally call by Chhatra Samaj: BJP leader Suvendu

Kolkata, Aug 24 (PTI) Three days before the planned march to the West Bengal secretariat by a student organisation to demand justice for the woman doctor who was raped-murdered at a state-run hospital here on August 9, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday alleged that the state government is attempting to divert attention from the protest.

Adhikari, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, accused police of spreading rumours on social media about the upcoming rally on August 27. He claimed that the Mamata Banerjee-led government is using underhanded tactics to prevent protestors from reaching Nabanna.

In a post on X, Adhikari said, "Mamata Police is deploying a sinister 'toolkit' to redirect protestors away from marching towards Nabanna, where they seek justice for the RG Kar PGT woman doctor. The West Bengal Government is clearly shaken by the viral call for the 'Nabanna Abhijaan' on August 27." He continued, "The state government and its subservient administration are already under immense pressure following the massive public support for the 'Reclaim the Night' campaign, where women from all walks of life took to the streets to express their outrage. The rising momentum of the 'Nabanna Abhiyan,' led by a non-political student organisation, has evidently caused concern for Mamata Banerjee." Chhatra Samaj, a student organisation, has called for the march to the secretariat, but the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and certain civil society groups have alleged that the rally is being supported by saffron forces like the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Adhikari argued, "Recognising that the student and civil society movements cannot be suppressed by force, the government is now resorting to unethical tactics such as gossip and rumour-mongering through social media." He claimed that fake Facebook profiles are being created by civic volunteers at police stations across districts to spread false information about the 'Nabanna Abhijaan' and to undermine the students' resolve.

He further alleged, "These fake profiles are being used to disseminate misleading posts and URLs of toolkits designed to create confusion and demoralise participants." Adhikari accused the Director General of Police of overseeing these efforts.

Calling for transparency, Adhikari urged students and civil society members not to be swayed by fake news and to remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice for the deceased doctor.

He attached a purported list of fake Facebook profiles from Purba Medinipur district as evidence of the alleged conspiracy.

Adhikari also suggested that many lower-level police officials are disillusioned with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s alleged "anti-public" policies.

He implied that these officials, having daughters of their own, sympathise with the call for justice.

In another post, Adhikari criticised the haste with which the victim’s body was cremated, suggesting there was an unusual urgency to dispose of it.

He accused a local MLA of being present during the hurried cremation along with the presence of Kolkata Police officers, despite the crematorium being under Barrackpore police commissionerate’s jurisdiction. He tagged the CBI headquarters and included a video of the cremation process, calling for an investigation.

Union Minister of State and BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar demanded Banerjee’s resignation over her alleged failure to ensure women’s safety and called for her inclusion in the investigation.

In response, senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim dismissed Adhikari’s claims as sensationalist and baseless.

Hakim remarked, "Suvendu Adhikari has a history of making wild allegations for publicity. As a former member of the state cabinet, he should understand that such accusations are improbable and implausible." Hakim further accused Adhikari of trying to incite trouble and cause disruptions with his comments.

Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh defended the authorities, stating that given the sensitivity of the incident, the primary focus was to complete the cremation process without any concealment. Ghosh criticised the opposition for trying to politicise the issue by using the deceased’s body as a tool for political gain. PTI SUS MNB