Since 20 May 2011, she has been serving as the eighth and current Chief Minister of the Indian state of West Bengal, the first woman to hold this post. She has been the Chief Minister of the state continuously for a total of 13 years. But the way the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case is being covered up, it does not seem that the public will make the mistake of re-electing her for the fourth term. At least, the kind of atmosphere that is being created against her, it seems so. Anger is growing against her in the party, all is not well at home either. The opposition is constantly attacking. The expected support is not being received from the Congress as well. The growing distance from brother Abhishek Banerjee is creating problems for her. In 1993, she entered the Writers Building to get justice for a rape victim in Nadia district. The then Jyoti Basu’s leftist government dragged her out. Exactly three decades later, the public now seems ready to show her the way out for getting justice for the victim’s family in a rape case. Let us see what are the reasons due to which it seems that Mamata Banerjee’s reins of power are weakening.
1- Mamta Banerjee is alone in her house, Abhishek’s anger says a lot
Mamata Banerjee’s problem is that she wants to take the support of her nephew and does not want to see him in the number 2 position. There is no doubt that Abhishek Banerjee has been his aunt Mamata Banerjee’s partner in many good and bad works of TMC. Abhishek’s backbone has also contributed to keeping Mamata Banerjee’s chair safe. But in the last few years, Mamata Banerjee feels that her nephew can usurp her chair. Therefore, many times, she has been telling Abhishek about his place with apprehension. In 2023, once it seemed that Abhishek would take Mamata’s place. The party meeting was held at Netaji Indoor Stadium and Abhishek Banerjee’s picture was not even put up. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, who is considered to be Abhishek Banerjee’s close friend, had publicly said that Abhishek Banerjee could not attend the meeting due to health reasons, but his picture should have been put up.
The way Diamond Harbor MP Abhishek has made statements against Mamata government on the Kolkata rape case, it is clear that differences with Mamata have increased on this matter. Abhishek, in his first reaction on the RG Kar Hospital case, had demanded an encounter against the accused. After the crime came to light on August 9, when the top leaders of the party were seen to be of the same opinion, Abhishek demanded strict action against the culprits and said, these rapists do not deserve to live in society, they should be killed in an encounter or hanged. Not only this, his absence in Mamata’s protest march in this case was also surprising people. An Indian Express report states that TMC leaders of Abhishek’s constituency Diamond Harbor commented on this in their social media posts and said: ‘Sommoyer DAAK, Senapati Poth Dekhak (It is the need of the hour that the General shows the way)’ The word Senapati was used for Abhishek.
Leaders close to Abhishek believe that the lack of voice in reappointing Ghosh and the failure to stop the mob were mistakes that were completely unnecessary and avoidable. Abhishek posted on Twitter that he had called the Kolkata Police Commissioner and asked him to “ensure that everyone responsible for the violence…” is identified, held accountable, and forced to face the law within the next 24 hours, regardless of their political affiliation.
2- Opposition within the party is at a dangerous level
The way Mamata government has dealt with the Kolkata rape case has raised voices against her in the party. This is the first time that her close people have started speaking against her. But due to the dictatorial attitude of Mamata government, voices have started rising against her in the party. TMC Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Shekhar Rai and former MP Shantanu Sen have put the party and the government in trouble with their harsh comments. Sukhendu Shekhar Rai has gone against the party line on this issue and has put the government in the dock by questioning the functioning of Kolkata Police and the Principal of RG Kar Medical College. In a letter sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday on this issue, Rai has appealed to set up three fast track courts in each district and settle such cases within six months.
Due to some of his alleged misleading and controversial tweets, Kolkata Police summoned him to the Police Headquarters Lal Bazar on Sunday and Monday. The same happened with the party spokesperson Shantanu Sen. Former MP Shantanu Sen also showed rebellious attitude in this matter. Immediately after that, he was removed from the post of party spokesperson. Shantanu Sen has been a student of RG Kar Medical College. He had said that for the past three years, complaints of irregularities were being received in that medical college and some people were not letting the information about the irregularities in the health department reach the Chief Minister. Just saying this became fatal for him.
Sukhendu Shekhar getting a police summons and Shantanu Sen being removed from the post of party spokesperson shows how the government is suppressing the matter in a dictatorial manner. But it is natural for party workers to oppose such an attitude. Party workers know that without the green signal from the top leadership, the police could not send a summons to a senior MP of the ruling party for a tweet.
The most surprising thing is that the attitude of the editor of the party mouthpiece and the political party is contradictory. It has to be understood to what depths this ruling party will take us. On 15th August, while the midnight protest and agitation by women was condemned in the mouthpiece ‘Jago Bangla’, its editor himself sat on a dharna for three hours in his personal capacity.
3-Bharatiya Janata Party has also changed its method of protest
The strategy adopted by the Bharatiya Janata Party to get justice for the victim’s family in the Kolkata rape and murder case is different from the methods adopted so far. In the protest against the violence in Sandeshkhali and after the assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party tried to impose the central leadership on the local leadership of Bengal. But this time the Center is silent, the BJP leaders outside Bengal are also silent. The responsibility of opposing the Kolkata incident has been left to the leaders of Bengal. Shubhendu Adhikari, Locket Chatterjee etc. have taken charge. The Kolkata Police has issued notices to two doctors – Dr. Kunal Sarkar and Dr. Subarno Goswami – for spreading rumors regarding the rape and murder of a doctor of RG Kar Hospital. A notice has also been issued to BJP leader Locket Chatterjee by the police. It is clear that the central leadership of the BJP has understood that outside leadership will not be accepted in Bengal. Therefore, this time the state BJP leaders have been given a free hand. The Delhi leaders have not tried to go to Kolkata to meet the victim’s family etc.
5- Poisonous words of Mamta’s ministers
The kind of statements TMC leaders are making on the Kolkata rape case is shameful. The common Bengali manush is not able to tolerate that people in the cabinet of a woman Chief Minister will make such statements. North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha says that those who are pointing fingers at CM Mamata Banerjee need to be identified and their fingers broken. He further said: I have never seen women in jeans and short hair protesting against illegal liquor or gambling. This is what rural women do… These women are protesting to be seen on television and written about in English newspapers.
TMC MP Arup Chakraborty warned the protesters that if doctors instead of treating patients, roam around with their boyfriends or go home under the guise of protests and the patients die, there will be public outrage. If hospitals are surrounded, they should not come to us to save them.
MP Kalyan Banerjee says that some people think that like Bangladesh, by singing songs and playing Spanish guitar, they will be able to topple the Mamata Banerjee government. But our leader Mamata Banerjee did not allow the police to open fire.
Obviously, due to such statements, an atmosphere is being created against TMC leaders in the state.
4- Congress is also not going to support on this issue
Mamata government does not seem to be getting support from its ally Congress on this issue. However, Congress and TMC are together only as members of the India Alliance. In the Lok Sabha elections, both the parties had fielded candidates against each other. Still, Mamata government has been getting support from Congress on many issues. But in the Kolkata rape and murder case, Congress has also made its stand clear. Rahul Gandhi wrote, the whole country is shocked by the gruesome incident of rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata. The way the layers of the cruel and inhuman act done with her are coming out, there is an atmosphere of insecurity among the doctors community and women. Not only this, Rahul Gandhi has also raised many questions which are being seen as a clear attack against Mamata government. Rahul writes that instead of getting justice for the victim, the attempt to save the accused raises serious questions on the hospital and the local administration. This incident has forced us to think that if doctors are not safe in a place like medical college, then with what confidence should parents send their daughters outside to study?
Earlier, Congress leader in West Bengal Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary had also written on X, attacking the Mamata government. Adhir had written that the incident of rape and murder of a female junior doctor confirms the deterioration in the law and order situation in West Bengal run by CM Mamata. He further wrote, the image of Bengal is getting tarnished and one day people will say that Kolkata has become the rape capital. I would like to suggest to her that she should speak less and do some work. Now we need a Chief Minister who works, not just preaches.
