Kolkata rape-murder: Mamata Banerjee faces backlash for ‘threatening doctors, northeast’; CMs, BJP leaders hit back

The Bharatiya Janata Party has hit out at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly threatening protesting doctors and northeastern states during a public rally at Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) foundation day on Wednesday.

West Bengal BJP state president and Union minister of state Sukanta Majumdar condemned Mamata Banerjee’s remarks as unprecedented and threatening and shot off a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah stating that she “no longer deserves to hold such an important position”.

“It is unthinkable and unprecedented for a chief minister, who is constitutionally bound to rise above partisan attitudes, to make such intimidating statements that pose a threat to democracy,” Sukanta Majumdar told reporters.

Speaking at the public rally in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee had claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using the BJP to cause a fire in Bengal over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old woman trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and warned that if you burn Bengal, other states including Assam, northeast, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Delhi too shall burn and your chair will be toppled.

“Some people think this is Bangladesh. I love Bangladesh; they speak like us and share our culture. But remember, Bangladesh is a separate country, and India is a separate country. Modi Babu is using his party to cause fire here. If you burn Bengal, Assam, northeast, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Delhi too shall burn! We will topple your chair,” Mamata Banerjee said.

The rape and murder of the Kolkata trainee doctor on August 9 has sparked outrage all over the country. The incident shook the entire nation, and since then several protests have been staged demanding justice for the victim.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday alleged that Mamata Banerjee “straight away threatened doctors” with her statement of not regsitering FIRs against protesting doctors.

The BJP MP also criticised the police action on the protestors as he dubbed the the Trinamool Congress chief’s statement as a “new strategy to threaten” doctors.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the BJP leader hit out at the Bengal chief minister saying the issue of justice for this victim is not an election issue.

‘How dare you threaten Assam’: Himanta to Mamata

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also hit out at his West Bengal counterpart for allegedly threatening the northeastern state with unrest.

He claimed that Mamata Banerjee was trying to provoke the public to hide her own failures.

“Didi, how dare you threaten Assam? Don’t show your anger to us,” Himanta Sarma wrote on X, sharing a 46-second video clip of a speech by the West Bengal CM.

“Don’t even try to incite India with your politics of failure. It does not suit you to speak divisive language,” Sarma added.

Assam minister Pijush Hazarika strongly condemned the Bengal chief minister for her comments.

“She can’t bully, she can’t threaten us. She can’t control law and order in her state and is threatening us. It will not happen in Assam, I am assuring you,” Hazarika said.

Hazarika further expressed his disapproval of Banerjee’s approach, urging her to adhere to decorum befitting her long tenure as a chief minister. “I would like to request Mamata Banerjee, she is a very senior leader and a long-time CM, she should know how to speak in public. I seriously condemn it,” news agency ANI quoted Hazarika as saying.

Manipur CM reacts

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh also lashed out at the Bengal CM.

“How dare Didi threaten the Northeast? I condemn such irresponsible remarks in the strongest terms. She must publicly apologize to the Northeast and the rest of the nation,” Biren Singh wrote on X.

“@MamataOfficial Ji must immediately stop inciting violence and hatred with divisive politics. It is highly unbecoming of a political leader to issue threats of violence on a public platform,” he added.

12-hour Bangla Bandh call

Banerjee’s rally coincides with the BJP’s call for a 12-hour Bangla Bandh on Wednesday, August 28, across West Bengal that aims to highlight the growing frustration within the medical community over the need for improved safety measures and swift justice.

On August 27, chaos broke out in the streets of Kolkata with security personnel lobbing tear gas shells, used water cannons and resorted to lathi-charge to disperse protestors on the Howrah Bridge marching towards the West Bengal state secretariat Nabanna, amid the growing protests over the rape-murder incident.