Kolkata, Aug 28 (IANS): CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat on Wednesday alleged that the ‘Nabanna Abhijan (march to state secretariat)’ called by students to condemn the rape and murder of a junior doctor, was a BJP ploy to divert attention from the nationwide movement and bring the focus back to its protests in West Bengal.
Talking to IANS, Brinda Karat claimed there was hardly any participation by students in Tuesday’s protest march.
At the same time, she also took a swipe at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee for the alleged attempts by the state government to protect the former principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, Sandip Ghosh.
“This is quite amazing that they actually tried to save Sandip Ghosh by making him the principal of another medical institution,” Karat said.
To recall, a couple of days after the body of the doctor was recovered from the seminar hall of the hospital on the morning of August 9, in face of all round criticism, Ghosh announced his resignation both as the principal of RG Kar, as well as from the state medical services.
However, to everyone's surprise the state health department soon announced his appointment as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital (CNMCH).
However, he was unable to occupy that chair as a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court barred his appointment as principal of any medical college till further orders.
Meanwhile, Brinda Karat also raised questions regarding the Chief Minister’s statement earlier in the day about passing a Bill in West Bengal Assembly to ensure capital punishment for convicts in rape and murder cases and wondered how they would do it.
She also took a jibe at the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma and said that he should be immediately restrained from making hate speeches.
“After taking oath as a chief minister in the name of the Constitution, he is tearing that apart with his divisive speeches every day. Having such a chief minister is not only unfortunate for Assam but for the entire country,” Karat said.