In a development that has raised questions about the unity and principles of the I.N.D.I.Alliance, several of its prominent members have maintained a conspicuous silence over the recent rape and murder case at R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata. This reticence is attributed to the fact that the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which governs West Bengal, is a key member of the alliance.
The RG Kar Medical College case, which involves the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor there, has shocked the nation and sparked widespread protests. However, the response from the I.N.D.I.Alliance members have been notably muted, drawing sharp criticism from various quarters.
Background of the case
On August 9, 2024, the partially unclothed body of a female medical intern was found in a lecture hall at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Her father claimed she had been sexually assaulted and murdered at the hospital, alleging attempts to conceal the crime.
Earlier that night, the intern had shared a late meal with four colleagues around 2:30 am, after watching Neeraj Chopra’s javelin throw at the Paris Olympics. She then went to the lecture hall to relax.
Sanjay Roy, the primary suspect, worked at the hospital police outpost and had unrestricted access to the facility, despite not being formally associated with the hospital. Surveillance footage showed Roy entering the area where the intern’s body was later found, leading to his arrest on August 10. Following the crime, Roy went home, slept, and attempted to clean his clothes. The police later found his bloodstained shoes during a search of his residence.
However, the response from the I.N.D.I.Alliance members have been notably muted, drawing sharp criticism from various quarters.
I.N.D.I.Alliance members’ silence
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia labelled the alliance leaders as “political vultures” who speak out on crimes against women only when it suits their political agenda. The same I.N.D.I.Alliance members created much hue and cry over the Manipur gangrape and riots.
The BJP has accused the I.N.D.I.Alliance of providing a “crime cover” to mutual criminal elements. Sudhanshu Trivedi pointedly asked about the whereabouts of Priyanka Gandhi, who had earlier campaigned with the slogan “Ladki Hun, Lad Sakti Hun” (I’m a girl, I can fight), noting her silence on rape incidents from Ayodhya and Kannauj to Kolkata.
Rahul Gandhi’s response to questions about the Kolkata case has further fueled the controversy. When asked about the incident during a visit to Raebareli, Gandhi characterized the question as a “distraction” from the Dalit issues he was there to address.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi deflected questions regarding his stance on the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. When asked about the incident, Gandhi termed the query a distraction and instead focused on his visit to RaeBareli, where he sought justice for a Dalit individual killed in Nasirabad. Gandhi’s response in RaeBareli, where he said, “I will speak on the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case later,” has raised concerns about his credibility. He also said, “I have come here (Raebareli) to support the family of the victim (Dalit youth). I will not let you distract from this matter. I will speak on the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case later.” Gandhi’s selective approach to addressing crimes, particularly those against women, is evident in his avoidance of the Kolkata case, likely due to TMC’s involvement.
The silence of I.N.D.I.Alliance members are particularly striking given their vocal stance on similar incidents in BJP-ruled states. Opposition leaders have previously been quick to condemn and demand action in cases such as the Hathras rape case in Uttar Pradesh, the Prajwal Revanna case, or the violence against women in Manipur.
Here are some instances of their ‘vocal criticism’ when it came to condemning such horrific crimes in BJP-ruled states. Several instances illustrate Gandhi’s selective engagement with victims in opposition-ruled states.
In 2024, he politicized the case of Prajwal Revanna, a Janata Dal (Secular) MP in Karnataka, an ally of the BJP. Gandhi accused BJP leaders of supporting Revanna despite his alleged involvement in non-consensual sexual acts and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Similarly, Gandhi strongly criticized the BJP for the release of convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano case in Gujarat, accusing the government of undermining women’s safety during Bharat’s independence celebrations.
He also actively condemned the ethnic violence and sexual assaults in Manipur in 2023, urging the Prime Minister to stop the violence.
In the Kathua case, he and his mother led a midnight vigil at India Gate in New Delhi.
In the Hathras case, both brother and sister visited the victims.
While some members like CPI leader Annie Raja have criticized the TMC government’s handling of crimes against women, others like DMK’s K Kanimozhi have tried to balance their statements by also referencing incidents in BJP-ruled states. She put out a token condemnation post on the safety of women but nothing to call out Mamata.
She has also posted on Manipur and Kathua!
However, when a rape/gang rape occurs in her state of Tamil Nadu, she goes into an ‘ostrich’ mode. A DMK functionary, Kavidasan, and his accomplices were arrested for the gangrape of a 22-year-old woman in Thanjavur on August 12. The victim, who was visiting family, was attacked by Kavidasan, a member of Udhayanidhi Stalin’s fan club, along with Diwakar, Praveen, and a 17-year-old. Kanimozhi or her party members did not acknowledge this incident at all.
Whether it is the Gandhis or other INDI Alliance members, their actions have repeatedly shown a pattern of addressing crimes in states ruled by opposition parties while seemingly ignoring similar issues in states governed by his allies. Hypocrisy much?
The Kolkata doctor’s rape and murder has also been taken up by political parties, who have demanded a CBI inquiry. The West Bengal Chief Minister, who is the only woman Chief Minister in India from a state known for its women’s safety records, has asked for capital punishment for the accused. A person has been arrested based on circumstantial evidence by the police, but the anger of the medicos is on the boil, and rightly so. Country-wide protests have erupted in medical colleges and hospitals, with the stopping of non-emergency services. The doctors are demanding swift justice in the case and long-term measures to prevent such an occurrence.
While this brutal incident has shocked everyone, it is not the first of its kind. Numerous instances of violence against doctors have occurred, sometimes leading to death. The recent case of Dr. Vandana Das serves as a stark reminder. Dr. Das was a resident doctor at Taluka Hospital in Kerala when she was attacked by a patient in police custody who had been brought in for treatment. The doctor was stabbed multiple times while the policemen sought safety. She succumbed to her injuries.