Kolkata: Abhaya Mancha, a protest platform against the RG Kar rape and murder of a PGT in 2024, on Tuesday came under fire from both chief minister Suvendu Adhikari and the victim’s mother, Panihati MLA Ratna Debnath.A day after the Mancha on Monday staged a demonstration against the bail granted to former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh, Adhikari on Tuesday said the members could stage a protest outside the Supreme Court, which granted Ghosh the bail, instead of “protesting in Kolkata for media footage”. The same day, Debnath called the Mancha members “lizards”, “cockroaches” and “bedbugs”, who “exploited them to stay in limelight”.Responding to a question on the Mancha protest, Adhikari said he agreed with the protesters but questioned their decision to stage a demonstration in Kolkata. “I completely agree with them. But he (Sandip Ghosh) got the bail from the Supreme Court. As the administrative head, I cannot tell them they should protest outside the SC instead of here. They should choose the venue. Where did he (Sandip Ghosh) get bail from and why? Who granted him bail? They should demonstrate there instead of staging protests here to get media footage,” Adhikari said in Nandigram.Asserting he stood with the victim’s family, the CM said the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the case. “The Supreme Court entered the matter suo motu. All of you know that. As the administrative head, I would not like to comment on the SC. I have full faith in the Supreme Court. But there are many things that cannot be said. You should understand that,” Adhikari said.At Panihati, outside her office, Debnath said, “They (Abhaya Mancha members) are like lizards, cockroaches and bedbugs. A single brick is enough to deal with them. They are insignificant, they will never amount to anything. Have people forgotten what happened. Using my daughter’s case, they tried to strengthen their own political footing. They failed, and that is why they keep tormenting me. Our CM is with me, and I believe I will get justice. That is why I will never step into the fray with them.”Debnath’s remarks against Abhaya Mancha drew criticism from doctors leading the movement for Abhaya’s justice. Abhaya Mancha convener Punyabrata Gun told TOI: “She has joined a political party and she may have said what she was asked to. We had been on the streets with Abhaya’s parents, demanding justice. Our fight is not only for one incident at RG Kar but also for the safety for all women in the state. Our fight for Abhaya will continue, going above politics.”Debnath on Tuesday asserted that she was hopeful her daughter’s death would be investigated properly and the accused would be punished. “Officers, like Vineet Goyal, were suspended. I still don’t know who are questioning them. Sandip Ghosh was also granted bail. Though he was not part of our case, he was involved in another case, pertaining to corruption at RG Kar. My daughter was killed as she raised her voice against the corruption,” she said. “The new govt would weed out corruption and those helming the govt were given a free hand to do so.”Leading faces of West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF) also reacted sharply to Debnath’s remarks against Abhaya Mancha. Aniket Mahato, a prominent face at the R G Kar movement, said, “Driven by our conscience, we came together to demand justice for Abhaya, whom we looked upon as a family member. Aunty (Debnath) ought to have kept that in mind while making a statement. Our fight for justice will go on.”Another WBJDF member Asfakullah Naiya said the language of politics and that of a movement were different. “She (Debnath) seemed to have spoken the language of politics but it will not undermine our movement. Our fight is for justice.”
