The Kolkata police on Saturday (August 17, 2024) summoned the leadership of two left-wing organisations — the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) — in connection with the mob violence that erupted in the early hours of August 15 at the city’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a doctor was raped and murdered last week.
DYFI State secretary Minakshi Mukherjee is among the seven leaders of the two organisations who were summoned by the police. So far, 30 people have been arrested in connection with the mob violence.
Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that she had seen videos of the August 15 mob violence in which DYFI flags were visible.
‘DYFI flag seen’
“The people who carried out the vandalism that night are not part of the RG Kar student movement, they are outsiders,” Ms. Banerjee had said. “I have seen many videos in which some people are carrying the national flag, they are from the BJP, and some were holding red and white flags of DYFI. I have seen three such videos.”
In response to the allegations by the Chief Minister, Ms. Mukherjee said on Friday that the DYFI office is not the only place from where people can get their party flag. “Our flags are available in Kolkata’s marketplaces as well. When we carry that flag, we do so with responsibility,” she said, adding that it was not a single person who was responsible for the mob violence.
The DYFI leader also raised questions on whether the actual culprits of the attack are being protected. “The people who are connected to the vandalism of a hospital cannot be from civil society. Then who is protecting these people?” she asked on Friday.
Woman constable injured
The West Bengal police posted a video showing Constable Shampa Pramanik of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate in uniform, with severe injuries to her face and head, allegedly caused by an attack during the ‘Reclaim the Night’ processions on the night of August 14. “Wasn’t the night Shampa’s too? It was meant to be a night for women, when they reclaimed the streets demanding safety at the workplace,” the post read.
It noted that Ms. Pramanik had been in Baguiati on the night of August 14 when several bricks came flying from the crowd towards the police, hitting her in the face. “We have arrested five people in the case and will try to ensure punishment for them,” the police post said.
Police role
In response, the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the West Bengal police and Kolkata police “were not up to the task to provide security to the ladies”.
“Doctors, nurses, policewomen or the women protesting on the streets had no security because of the inefficient Police Force who were hand in glove with the TMC goons and acted as co-conspirators in the pre-planned vandalism,” Mr. Adhikari wrote on X.
He also asked whether Ms. Pramanik was under training and whether she was qualified to be deployed to maintain law and order. “If she is a trainee, who is responsible for her illegal deployment on the evening of August 14?” he asked.
