Kolkata rape-murder | Why Mamata Banerjee govt is facing pushback from party

The ruling TMC in West Bengal is facing an unprecedented crisis in the aftermath of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government never witnessed an open pushback from her party as it has over its handling of the developments that unfolded following the horrific incident.

Senior TMC leaders’ open criticism of the government decisions, administrative flip-flop and reclusiveness of its second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee are tell-tale signs of the differences between the party and the government.

Rift between party and govt

Abhishek’s office absolving itself of the responsibility of party’s media handling and the TMC's IT cell remaining almost inactive to counter the social media narratives over the brutal incident are fallout of these differences, party sources told The Federal.

Abhishek was also conspicuous by his absence at Mamata Banerjee's August 16 rally demanding capital punishment for the culprits of the heinous crime.

Questions were first raised in the party over the government move to reappoint Dr Sandip Ghosh as principal of the National Medical College within four hours of his resignation from RG Kar College and Hospital despite the fact that his role was under scanner in the August 9 incident.

Going soft on ex-principal

The decision to give him a prized posting by Mamata Banerjee’s health department was apparently influenced by a caucus within the TMC known as the North Bengal lobby.

A large section within the party, including its general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, reportedly raised questions about the need for the government to stand by him at a time when protesting doctors were pointing fingers at him.

The decision was overturned only after the Calcutta High Court intervened.

The agitation would not have snowballed into a massive mass protest had the government initially not treated Dr Ghosh with kid gloves.

Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the home and health portfolios, wasn’t given correct information on the ground situation at RG Kar College and Hospital, opined TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen. He was among the first to question the government’s decision.

Damage control exercise

Under pressure from within and outside – civil society and Opposition – the government resorted to a damage control exercise. An FIR was lodged against Dr Ghosh and others on Tuesday (August 20) over charges of corruption that were levelled a year ago.

A day earlier, the government announced setting up of a four-member special investigation team to probe allegations of financial irregularities in RG Kar Hospital from January 2021 till date.

“This should have been done much earlier,” stated another TMC Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar. Taking to social media platform Facebook, he demanded immediate suspension of Dr Ghosh.

Call for custodial interrogation

Another TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy called for “custodial interrogation” of the former RG Kar principal and Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal by the CBI to find out “who floated suicide story and why” about the rape and murder.

The police’s handling of mob violence at the hospital on August 14 night too drew severe flak from many party leaders, including Abhishek.

“The hooliganism and vandalism at RG Kar tonight have exceeded all acceptable limits. As a public representative, I just spoke with @CPKolkata, urging him to ensure that every individual responsible for today’s violence is identified, held accountable, and made to face the law within the next 24 hours, regardless of their political affiliations. The demands of the protesting doctors are fair and justified. This is the minimum they should expect from the government. Their safety and security must be prioritised,” the TMC general secretary posted on X.

Rollback of transfer order

The party also forced the government to roll back its transfer order of 42 doctors. The Saturday’s order was seen as a vindictive step against the government doctors who had openly protested against the RG Kar incident, though the health department had claimed it was a routine transfer.

The police move to cancel a football match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan scheduled on Sunday too has not gone down well with the party. “The decision would send a wrong signal,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said in his immediate reaction after the decision. He, however, later watered down the criticism.

Police, bureaucracy wield clout

The general view within the party is that it was a self-goal, said a TMC source.

The backlash from within is largely because there is a growing feeling within the TMC that the bureaucracy and the police are wielding larger influence over the party-led government.

Many superintendents of police, block development officers and officer-in-charges of police stations reportedly call the shots even in the grassroot functioning of the party, according to TMC insiders.

Abhishek for long is trying to reform the party organisation by engaging the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and curtailing the influence of government officials in the party affairs.

He is reportedly insisting on some changes both in the government and the party considering that the TMC’s performance in urban areas in the Lok Sabha elections was not up to the expectations. His camp sees an opportunity in the RG Kar fiasco to push for that change.