Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday wrote a letter to Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla demanding deployment of central paramilitary forces at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Adhikari’s move comes after a recent major incident at the hospital, in which it was allegedly vandalised by a mob. He termed the incident as a failure of the state government and the handiwork of Trinamool Congress “goons” who allegedly tried to tamper with evidence at the hospital.
Suvendu Adhikari wrote in his letter, “The West Bengal government and Kolkata Police have turned the medical college and hospital into a quagmire of crime by carrying out RG. First the criminals were allowed to flourish, and now TMC goons are being allowed to destroy evidence and intimidate the protesting doctors.” Adhikari also alleged that the mob tried to enter the girls’ hostel on the hospital premises at midnight, while the policemen present on the spot were forced to take shelter in the toilets.
The incident took place at a time when women across the state were holding a ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest at 11:55 pm on the eve of Independence Day. The protest was against the tragic incident in which a trainee female doctor was raped and murdered. The incident has shaken the entire country and has also generated widespread outrage in the medical community.
In his letter, Suvendu Adhikari said that he has informed Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla as well as the Home Ministry and the CBI Director about the vandalism. He has demanded the deployment of central paramilitary forces to protect evidence in the hospital and prevent any further tampering. He stressed that the law and order situation in the state has completely collapsed and hence the Center should intervene.
The officer directly targeted the Trinamool Congress and said that the state government has encouraged criminals who are now openly attacking sensitive places like hospitals. He said that all this is being done to destroy evidence and weaken the case so that the culprits can be saved.
It is noteworthy that on the instructions of the Calcutta High Court, the CBI is investigating this case, which was earlier in the hands of the Kolkata Police. The officer believes that the deployment of central forces will strengthen the security system in the hospital and transparency will be maintained in the investigation process. This entire incident has created turmoil in the politics of the state, and this matter has now become a topic of discussion at the national level.
