New Delhi: Amid the uproar over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the attempt to save the accused instead of providing justice to the victim raises serious questions on the hospital and the local administration.
The entire country is shocked by the gruesome incident of rape and murder of the junior doctor in Kolkata, said the former Congress president, adding there is an atmosphere of insecurity among the doctors’ community and women with the revelations about the manner of the cruel and inhuman act against her.
“The attempt to save the accused instead of providing justice to the victim raises serious questions on the hospital and the local administration,” Gandhi said in a post on X in Hindi.
“This incident has forced us to think that if doctors are not safe in a place like a medical college, then how can the parents send their daughters outside for studies? Why are even the strict laws made after the Nirbhaya case unsuccessful in preventing such crimes?” he said.
Every party, every section of the society will have to hold serious discussions and take concrete steps on the continuously increasing incidents against women from Hathras to Unnao, and from Kathua to Kolkata, he said.
“I stand with the victim’s family in their unbearable pain. They should get justice at all costs and the culprits should be given such a punishment that it serves as an example in the society,” Gandhi said.
Kolkata doctor’s rape and murder
The body of the woman post-graduate trainee was found inside a seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on the morning of August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the crime.
Junior doctors across West Bengal continued to cease work on Wednesday, the sixth day on the trot, protesting against the alleged rape and murder of the woman doctor at the state-run medical college and hospital and demanding justice for her.
The ongoing protest affected the healthcare services and long queues of patients were seen at the outpatient departments (OPDs) of all government hospitals.
The agitating junior doctors have been pressing for a magisterial probe into the killing of the woman doctor and the removal of senior officials from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
HC transfers case to CBI
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the probe into the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed the Calcutta High Court order granting a CBI probe into the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Mamata slams Oppn
Mamata also slammed the opposition CPI(M) and the BJP for allegedly trying to politicise the incident and fuel protests in the state, taking a cue from the student agitation in Bangladesh.
The chief minister also appealed to the protesting doctors to lift the cease work and join duties as healthcare services are badly impacted.
“We would abide by the Calcutta High Court’s order and extend all support to the CBI. We have no problem with CBI being handed over the case as we want it solved at the earliest,” she said.
“We have taken all possible actions in this case, but still, a malicious campaign is on,” she said while addressing a programme organised by the party on the eve of Independence Day.
“Abuse me as much as you want, but please don’t abuse the state,” she said.
TMC slams Rahul
The TMC slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor here, contending that he should keep in mind the “dismal track record” of women’s safety during previous Congress governments at the Centre.
Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the allegations as baseless.
“Before making such remarks, he should check and cross-check facts. He must not forget the dismal track record regarding women’s safety during the Rajiv Gandhi (former PM) regime and (previous) Congress governments at the Centre,” Ghosh said.
The body of the woman postgraduate trainee was found inside a seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on the morning of August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the crime.
The Calcutta High Court had on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the probe into the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
(With inputs from PTI)
