BJP uses RG Kar victim’s mother’s candidacy to push poll agenda on safety and justice

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to be aiming to achieve three key political objectives through its strategic decision to field the mother of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim as its candidate from Panihati in North 24 Parganas district.

The candidacy of Ratna Debnath, whose daughter’s killing in 2024 sparked nationwide outrage and prolonged protests, has once again brought women’s safety to the forefront as a major poll issue, placing the political discourse squarely around the shocking incident.

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The BJP is using the high-profile case to sharpen its attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), alleging that the state is not safe for women under the rule of Mamata Banerjee.

BJP’s chargesheet on women safety

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated this line of attack on Saturday (March 28) while releasing the BJP’s “chargesheet” against the TMC government, accusing it of failing to ensure women’s safety and maintain law and order.

He described the election as a choice between “fear and trust”, alleging that crimes against women have risen under the TMC’s 15-year rule.

By fielding the victim’s mother, the BJP is turning an abstract governance failure into a lived experience

The chargesheet also flags women’s safety as a major concern, along with allegations of corruption and poor governance, signalling that these issues will remain central to the BJP’s campaign.

Debnath, who began campaigning this week, said her entry into politics was driven by the lack of justice and broader concerns over women safety. “I want justice for my daughter and safety for every woman,” she told local media during her campaign launch.

Beyond women’s safety concerns

Political analyst Nirmalya Banerjee said the move allows the BJP to “personalise a wider governance issue.”

“By fielding the victim’s mother, the BJP is turning an abstract governance failure into a lived experience. That could have far greater emotional resonance with voters,” he said.

The RG Kar incident came to be seen as more than just a crime against a woman, with many viewing it as a reflection of broader governance failures.

The alleged crime inside a premier government-run medical college and hospital raised wider concerns about safety and administrative monitoring in state institutions, particularly those meant to provide essential public services.

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The incident also put under scanner the functioning of the state’s health system, with questions being raised about administrative lapses, possible corruption and the perceived impunity enjoyed by those seen as close to the ruling establishment.

The issue assumed added political significance as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee holds both the health and home portfolios, both of which drew criticism in the aftermath of the incident.

Protests shape election battle

By fielding Debnath, the BJP appears to be linking concerns over women’s safety with these governance issues, particularly questions of corruption, political patronage and law and order, turning a single incident into a larger political argument against the ruling TMC.

The BJP’s decision also positions it in direct competition with Left parties that had led street protests over the incident.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has fielded Kalatan Dasgupta, a prominent face of the “Justice for RG Kar” movement who was among those Left leaders detained during protests.

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For months after the crime, doctors, students and civil society groups mobilised across Kolkata, with the victim’s parents emerging as pivotal figures in the agitation.

At one such protest, BJP leaders faced resistance from sections of demonstrators, with “go back” slogans raised against party MLA Agnimitra Paul, even as junior doctors asserted that they would not allow the movement to be used for political purposes.

The victim’s family had also expressed disappointment over their inability to secure meetings with top BJP central leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, despite seeking an appointment during one of his visits to Kolkata.

BJP's multi-pronged strategy

Analysts say the BJP is now attempting to appropriate that protest energy.

“The Left had gained traction among urban voters by foregrounding governance failures through the RG Kar issue,” said political commentator Amal Sarkar. “With the mother as its candidate, the BJP is trying to undercut that advantage and claim ownership of the same narrative.”

After joining the BJP, Debnath criticised the Left parties, saying that despite their visible role in the protests, they had failed to deliver justice, a politically loaded remark that could dent the Left’s advantage on the issue.

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The BJP has since highlighted her candidacy and the RG Kar case in its campaign across constituencies, drawing on a movement once driven by non-partisan and Left-leaning groups to sharpen its attack on the ruling TMC.

A third objective appears to be countering claims that the BJP and TMC share an unspoken understanding that has slowed investigations into corruption and criminal cases involving ruling party leaders.

The alleged lopsided CBI probe into the RG Kar incident has been cited by proponents of a TMC-BJP “setting” theory as an example of a tacit understanding hampering the investigation, with even the victim’s family earlier expressing dissatisfaction over its pace and findings.

Triangular contest in Panihati

By bringing Debnath into electoral politics, the BJP is seeking to challenge that narrative.

“This is a strategic rebuttal,” Banerjee said. “The messaging is that if the BJP were complicit and the CBI were deliberately denying justice, the victim’s mother would not have chosen to join the party.”

The Panihati seat is now set for a triangular contest, with the TMC fielding Tirthankar Ghosh and the CPI(M) banking on Dasgupta’s protest credentials.

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While the BJP hopes Debnath’s candidacy will galvanise voters, it has also drawn criticism from some protest groups who accuse political parties of exploiting a tragedy for electoral gain.

Still, analysts say the move reflects a smart political gambit. “This is not just about one constituency,” Sarkar said. “It is about reframing the entire election discourse from welfare and identity politics to governance, justice and accountability.”