Patriarchy: TMC rejects resignation demands for Mamata Banerjee over Kolkata rape-murder case

New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has fiercely defended West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against calls for her resignation following the tragic rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The party has labeled the demands for Banerjee's exit as a reflection of entrenched patriarchy, questioning why similar calls are not made when male Chief Ministers face similar incidents in their states.

Gender bias in politics

"There have been numerous incidents in various states, yet no one demands the resignation of male Chief Ministers. Why is it different for the only woman Chief Minister in the country, who has won three successive elections? This is an example of how patriarchy operates," Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya asserted during a media briefing today.

Accusations of political manipulation

The Trinamool Congress also criticized the upcoming Nabanna Abhijan, a protest march organized by a student group demanding justice for the 31-year-old doctor killed in the August 9 incident. Bhattacharya accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), of orchestrating the protest to create unrest in the state.

"There is a plot to create chaos under the guise of a student protest. Criminals disguised as police officers plan to open fire. This is nothing but vulture politics," she claimed. Bhattacharya further noted that the protest, scheduled for tomorrow, had not received the necessary police permission, emphasizing that while protests are a democratic right, they must be conducted peacefully and in designated areas.

Political blame game

Amid widespread protests in Kolkata and its surrounding areas, the Trinamool Congress has criticized the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its lack of progress in the rape-murder case. Despite the initial arrest by Kolkata Police, the CBI, now leading the investigation, has yet to file a chargesheet. Bhattacharya urged that all rallies demanding justice should focus on the CBI office, as the state government is no longer in charge of the probe.

Conspiracy allegations

In a press conference this morning, the Trinamool Congress released two videos, allegedly depicting a conspiracy to incite violence during tomorrow's rally. The videos, which have not been independently verified, feature several men reportedly discussing the need for "bodies" to turn the political tide in BJP's favor. Trinamool leader Jayprakash Majumdar suggested that the BJP is attempting to recreate a "Nandigram-type" incident to destabilize the state, referencing the 2007 violence that claimed 14 lives under the previous Left government.

In response, BJP’s Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, accused the state police of spreading rumors to derail the protest. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize what he called the "sinister 'toolkit'" employed by the state government to prevent the Nabanna Abhijan march.