Abhishek absent at Mamata’s protest march, TMC ‘split’ on Kolkata rape-murder evident

The Diamond Harbour MP, who sought an “encounter” against the accused in one of his first reactions to the R G Kar Hospital case, was a notable absentee at Mamata’s “protest” march over the case, which was criticised for being empty rhetoric, when what was needed as concrete action by the CM.

TMC leaders of Abhishek’s constituency Diamond Harbour commented on this in their social media posts, saying: ‘Somoyer DAAK, Senapati Poth Dekhak (It is the need of the hour that the general shows the way).’ The general was a reference to Abhishek.

Sources close to Abhishek claim he wanted to clearly convey his unhappiness over how the matter has been handled, from the rapid posting of the removed R G Kar Hospital principal to another hospital, and the failure of the police to stop a mob that attacked doctors sitting in protest over the rape and murder.

What has sharpened the divisions is that other TMC leaders who have questioned the handling of the case have faced action instead. While former Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen was removed as spokesperson, sitting Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray got a notice from the Kolkata Police for spreading “misinformation” and approached the Calcutta High Court against it.

Those seen in Mamata’s corner, in response, have hardened their position, threatening action against those criticising the government as well as warning the doctors to give up their protest.

Initially, after the crime was discovered on August 9, the party top brass seemed on the same page. While Abhishek sought the strictest action against the guilty, saying “These rapists, who don’t deserve to live in society, should be dealt with either through encounter or by hanging”, Mamata demanded capital punishment for them.

Sources said the divide appeared after R G Kar Medical College and Hospital Principal Sandip Ghosh, who had been removed following questions over the hospital administration’s initial response to the rape and murder, was appointed within hours as head of Calcutta National Medical College.

Then followed vandalism and the attack on protesting doctors at R G Kar by a mob of thousands, even as the police stood by. Leaders close to Abhishek feel the tone deafness in reappointing Ghosh and the failure in stopping the mob were blunders that were completely “unnecessary” and avoidable.

As the TMC battled charges that the mob included its own cadres, given how the police failed to check them, Abhishek posted on X that he had called the Kolkata Police Commissioner and told him “to ensure that every individual responsible for… (the) violence is identified, held accountable, and made to face the law within the next 24 hours, regardless of their political affiliation”.

A senior TMC leader close to Abhishek said, “He is of the opinion that strict action be taken against the hospital administration head and police officials concerned. It is clear that people did not do their duty. That is why he has distanced himself from the government and administration.”

A senior leader close to Mamata refused to comment on Abhishek’s stand. “We can’t say anything particular on such things, these can only be settled by our party supremo.”

Officially, the TMC has denied any differences. At a press conference Monday, spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “The party is united under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and general secretary Abhishek Banerjee… But a lot of canards are being spread.”

In a social media post, Ghosh wrote: “Jananetri @MamataOfficial esob rukhte lorai te netritto dicchen. Senapati @Abhihske AITC keo sokriyo bhabe samne chai (Our leader Mamata Banerjee is leading the fight to stop all this. We want our general Abhishek on our side too).”

But others such as Santanu Sen and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray have not been accorded the same leeway.

Sen had hinted at a corruption nexus at R G Kar and joined a rally of the protesting doctors along with his wife Kakoli; the couple are both alumni of the institution. “There have been a series of complaints against the principal of this college. The Mamata government has ensured development in every medical college in the state, but this is the only principal facing so much controversy. The government should think about this.”

The next day, Sen was removed as party spokesperson.

Ray had joined the August 14 mass midnight protest over the incident, saying he felt it his duty “because I have a daughter and a little granddaughter”. Two days later, he demanded custodial interrogation of both former principal Ghosh and Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, calling it essential to find out who floated the suicide story in the doctor’s death case, why the wall of a hall near the crime scene was demolished, why sniffer dogs were not deployed earlier, and who was backing Ghosh.

Hours after he said this, Ray was summoned by the Kolkata Police.

On Tuesday, the MP told the Calcutta High Court that he had reached a settlement on the issue, and agreed to delete the post seeking custodial interrogation of Ghosh and Goyal. The West Bengal government counsel then said they will not take any action against him in connection with the issue.

The TMC leaders who are now hitting back include Lok Sabha MPs Kalyan Banerjee (Sreerampur) and Arup Chakraborty (Bankura), apart from MLAs like Udayan Guha.

Kalyan Banerjee drew a Bangladesh parallel. “Some people think that just like Bangladesh, singing songs and playing a Spanish guitar, they will be able to topple the Mamata Banerjee government. But our leader Mamata Banerjee did not allow the police to open fire (during the vandalism of R G Kar),” Kalyan said.

North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said, “Those who are raising fingers at CM Mamata Banerjee need to be identified and their fingers broken.” He added: “I have never seen women sporting jeans and short hair agitating against illegal hooch or gambling (dens). That is what rural women do… These women are agitating to be seen on television and to be written about in English newspapers.”

TMC MP Arup Chakraborty warned the protesters, saying: ‘If doctors, instead of treating patients and in the garb of protests, roam about with their boyfriends or go home and the patients die, there will be public outrage. If hospitals get gheraoed, they should not come to us to save them.”

Asked about these statements, Kunal Ghosh said it was not the party’s view but the leaders’ own, and he wished they showed more restraint. “Sometimes the Opposition provokes and leaders are tempted. But they should refrain from such statements.”