Kolkata: West Bengal BJP President and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar was detained on Friday during a protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Speaking to reporters, Majumdar claimed that the TMC police had been informed that as long as the BJP was present, no women would be harmed or arrested. He emphasized that atrocities against women must stop and criticized the differing rules applied to the BJP compared to the TMC.
"We have told the TMC police that as long as we are here, they will not arrest any woman, and we will not allow any woman to be harmed. Atrocities against women must stop. Mamata Banerjee does not need permission for a rally, but when the BJP does something, permission is required. All the rules seem to be only for the BJP," Majumdar said while speaking to reporters.
He also called for the immediate resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal, saying, "A person like him is not suitable for the post of Kolkata Police Commissioner. He should take responsibility for this incident and resign."
Earlier today, BJP leaders including MLA Agnimitra Paul and actor-turned-politician Roopa Ganguly also staged a protest over the incident and demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"Mamata Banerjee, who is also the health minister, should resign," Ganguly said.
She further said, "We will continue our protest. Please remember that today it is not only a political party as an opposition. Not only us but the common people have woken up. You saw how lakhs of women joined the protest on August 14. Those are the voices of West Bengal. Even people from TMC joined the protest."
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal urged people to avoid believing in "rumours" and "narratives" surrounding the rape and murder case, stressing faith in the CBI, which is investigating the matter.
Addressing a press conference, Goyal said, "A three-member team conducted the post-mortem, which was video-recorded. The CBI has access to the post-mortem video, ensuring transparency."
He refuted rumours that the police had informed the victim's family that she had committed suicide or that 150 grams of semen were found in her body. He reiterated that the police were cooperating fully with the CBI and that the people should have faith in the agency and police for further investigation.
"Far too many baseless rumours are circulating, and so-called experts are creating narratives based on them. The case is with the CBI now; let us have faith in the agency. Our officers did everything possible in the time available. We are liable for legal action if anyone on our team has done anything wrong," Goyal added.
According to Kolkata police, around 25 people have been taken into custody in connection with the vandalism at RG Kar Hospital on August 14, where a mob damaged the protest site, vehicles, and public property.
"As of now, we have made 25 arrests in relation to the vandalism at RG Kar Hospital on Wednesday night. Four more suspects were identified by netizens from our social media posts. The search for the remaining suspects is ongoing," the Kolkata Police said in a post on X on Friday.
A team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) visited RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Thursday afternoon to conduct a digital blueprint of the incident.
On August 9, a post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The victim's family alleged that she was raped and murdered. This incident has triggered a nationwide protest by doctors and medical fraternities.
—ANI