Congress leader Supriya Shrinate questions TMC administration’s ‘cover-up’ attempt in Kolkata doctor rape-murder case

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate on Thursday criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government of West Bengal over the recent rape and murder of a female trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Shrinate questioned why the local administration allegedly attempted to cover up the crime.

"The incident was extremely unfortunate. What happened to the woman doctor raises a critical question: Where is the safety for women, who constitute half the population? What is happening to women in this country? Shrinate, the chairperson of social media and digital platforms in Congress' communication department, told news agency ANI.

"Why did the local administration try to cover up the crime? The violence we saw yesterday is unacceptable and it is not the answer to anything," she said.

The Congress and the TMC are part of opposition INDIA bloc.

Shrinate's remarks come a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee – under fire from the BJP - hit back at the Congress party, shortly after Rahul Gandhi's acerbic comment about the handling of the case by the "local administration".

"I want to ask Congress... how many incidents have taken place in your states... what action do you take? And under CPIM rule there were a plethora of heinous crimes (and) the then government was silent. Since there was no social media then... people were not so aware," Banerjee said.

On August 9, a post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in a seminar hall at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The victim's family has alleged she was raped and murdered, sparking nationwide protests by doctors and medical communities.

Rahul Gandhi broke silence on therape and murder of a woman doctorat Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday saying that the attempt to save the accused instead of providing justice to the victim raises serious questions on the hospital and the local administration.

On Thursday, Congress General Secretary Deepa Dasmunshi also condemned the incident, noting that such cases have become distressingly frequent under Mamata Banerjee's government.

"It is true that what happened at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is very sad. This is not the first such incident in Bengal since Mamata Banerjee came to power. From Park Street to numerous other cases, this is deeply shocking. The presence of 150 grams of semen indicates a gang rape, not just a case involving one or two men. The (state) government is silent, but it should be open to the public," she said.

Deepa Dasmunshi criticised the response of Mamata Banerjee, who has suggested a CBI investigation. She demanded that the perpetrators be brought to justice and strict punishment be enforced. "Mamata ji needs to understand that our criticism is not personal but directed at her administration and governance. Our concerns are issue-based, not against her personally," she said.

On Wednesday night, a mob entered the RG Kar hospital campus, vandalising protest sites and attacking vehicles and public property, which led security officials to disperse the crowd.

(With ANI inputs)