R G Kar hospital victim’s parents 'parroting CPI(M) lines': TMC leaders continue attack

Kolkata: Senior Trinamool Congress MLAs on Tuesday continued their attack on the parents of the R G Kar hospital rape-murder victim for allegedly parroting the lines of the opposition CPI(M) in criticising Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

After a Kolkata court sentenced the lone convict in the R G Kar hospital case to life term till death, the parents of the deceased medic had said last week that Banerjee, being the CM, cannot disown the responsibility for the "attempt of the police and hospital authorities to destroy evidence of the rape and murder of their daughter." "Such a person (Mamata Banerjee) has no right to continue in office and she must step down," they had said. Since then, the parents were being slammed by the ruling TMC leaders.

TMC MLA from Kamarhati Madan Mitra asked whether the parents were parroting the scripted lines of the CPI(M) and BJP for political reasons.

"The parents are changing their statements frequently. If they want high amount of compensation for the tragedy, they should speak out,” Mitra said.

He alleged that hundreds of crores or rupees were raised in the name of the doctors’ movement on the R G Kar hospital issue.

“Do they (parents) want to contest elections? Even if you (parents) do, you will be defeated emphatically,” he said.

“Your new friends Ram-Bam (BJP and Left parties) won't be able to pull you through," said Mitra, a former minister.

BJP and CPI(M) leaders claimed that such “indecent outburst” showed that the TMC has no respect for the parents of a rape-murder victim, leaving the people of the state “appalled”.

Agriculture Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said the parents are making unwarranted comments that have nothing to do with the investigation process.

"We know the parents have lost their daughter and our sympathy and solidarity remain with them. But they have been suddenly targetting our CM who had done everything possible to ensure speedy trial and stood by them.

“They certainly are voicing the narrative of the CPI(M) which only wants to malign the state and carries out personal attack against Mamata Banerjee," said Chattopadhyay, the TMC MLA of Khardah.

Senior Trinamool Congress leaders such as Firhad Hakim, Municipal Affairs Minister and Kolkata Mayor, and party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh earlier criticised the parents and alleged that they were being used by opposition parties, a charge denied by them.

Veteran TMC MPS Sougata Roy and Kalyan Bandyopadhyay also launched a blistering attack on the parents, asking them not to make statements that will not help them get justice.

Striking a different note, TMC MLA Humayun Kabir said, "The parents are making such statements as they are under mental stress and agony. Hence one should not subject them to such personal attacks.” BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said, “The unseemly and indecent outburst towards the parents of a rape-murder victim by leaders like Mitra and Ghosh shows the level TMC has stooped to.

The more they open their mouth, the further they will be exposed." Senior CPI(M) leader Bikash Bhattacharya said that these comments show that the TMC has no respect for the sentiment of the people of Bengal and women “who are appalled”. In response to TMC's charge, the father had told reporters that they are not being used by any quarter. “We have lost everything. We only wish that justice is done to our daughter before our death,” he said on Saturday, maintaining that the CM has failed in discharging her duties.

The body of the 31-year-old post-graduate trainee was found in a semi-naked state in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 last year.