West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused “outsiders” and opposition parties of instigating the recent violence at RG Kar Hospital, claiming that members of the Left and BJP were responsible for the chaos. Banerjee asserted that these groups, whom she referred to as “Bam” (the Left) and “Ram” (the BJP), were attempting to disrupt peace in the state.
“Bam and Ram want to create unrest in Bengal, and they have come together to orchestrate this,” Mamata Banerjee said, suggesting that the violence was politically motivated.
Banerjee distanced the vandalism from the ongoing protests by doctors, who have been agitating following the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor. She emphasized that those responsible for the destruction were not linked to the student movement at RG Kar Medical College but were instead politically motivated outsiders.
“The individuals who vandalized RG Kar Hospital yesterday are not connected to the student movement of the college. They are outsiders. I have reviewed several videos, and in three of them, I can see individuals carrying national flags, who are affiliated with the BJP, and others holding red and white flags, associated with the DYFI,” Mamata Banerjee said, according to reports from ANI.
The incident in question occurred on Wednesday night when a mob stormed the RG Kar Hospital campus, causing significant damage to the protest site, vehicles, and other property. Doctors and nurses participating in the protest maintained that the vandals were not part of their movement.
Praising the police for their restraint during the incident, Banerjee recounted how officers, including a Deputy Commissioner and two Officer-in-Charges, were attacked. “The police were assaulted yesterday; among the injured were one Deputy Commissioner and two Officer-in-Charges who were present for security purposes. They went missing for an hour and were later found unconscious with severe head injuries. I instructed the police at 3 am to take them to Apollo Hospital. I commend them for their patience—they did not retaliate or harm anyone,” she said.
Mamata Banerjee also noted that the case has been transferred from the West Bengal police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), urging anyone with information to approach the CBI. “The case is no longer in our jurisdiction; it is now in the hands of the CBI. If you have any information, you should inform them,” she added.
The Chief Minister also emphasized the severity of the crime, stating that the only appropriate punishment for the doctor’s rape and murder would be the death penalty. “This is a heinous crime, and the only fitting punishment is that the accused should be hanged. Only then will a lesson be learned, but no innocent person should be punished,” she concluded.
The doctor was reportedly raped, tortured, and murdered inside a seminar hall at the state-run hospital. She had entered the hall to rest during her night shift.