BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla strongly condemned farmer leader Rakesh Tikait for his reported remarks on the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident, calling it “the most shameful statement.” Tikait allegedly suggested that the incident is being used as part of a conspiracy to defame the West Bengal government.
Poonawalla expressed outrage, particularly after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the case as a “distraction.” He criticized Tikait’s claim that the incident was part of a propaganda campaign against Mamata Banerjee’s government, stating, “Is the Supreme Court intervention also propaganda and conspiracy? The Supreme Court slammed the Mamata Banerjee government, indicating an institutional cover-up. Is the High Court, which transferred the probe to the CBI, involved in propaganda?”
Poonawalla further accused the West Bengal government of adopting a “dictatorial attitude” by silencing doctors and protestors. He questioned the silence of the INDI Alliance leaders, stating, “Parents demanding justice are being ignored. Evidence has been destroyed from day one, and the government has silenced voices. Yet, no one from the INDI Alliance has spoken out.”
He also pointed to recent cases of violence against nurses and doctors in West Bengal, accusing the INDI Alliance of defending Mamata Banerjee by dismissing the incidents as a conspiracy.
The Supreme Court recently constituted a 10-member National Task Force to recommend measures to prevent violence and ensure safe working conditions for medical professionals. The task force, which includes Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, was directed to submit an interim report within three weeks and a final report within two months. The court also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the West Bengal government to file status reports on the ongoing investigation and the mob attack at RG Kar hospital, respectively.
The case stems from the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College on August 9, which sparked nationwide protests by the medical community.