The demand for justice in the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R G Kar hospital echoed in the House of Kolkata Municipal Corporation today when the opposition councillors protested at the monthly meeting today.
Before the commencement of the monthly session, the Left and Congress councillors shouted slogans outside the House demanding justice for the brutal incident. At the beginning of the session, the BJP demanded a condolence message and a minute silence for the victim doctor. Reacting to the demand, councillor of the ruling party, Arup Chakraborty, who was presiding the House in absence of KMC chairperson Mala Roy, disapproved the condolence message and allowed the observance of one minute silence. The situation, however, became more tense when the opposition councillors from the BJP demanded adjournment of the monthly meeting, which was not agreed upon by the members of the ruling party, including Mr Chakraborty. The BJP councillors then shouted slogans carrying placards with ‘we demand justice,’ and walked out of the House.
Staging a sit-in outside the session room, BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh said, “Condolences are read out here on the death of artists, sportsmen, but they are not willing to do it for the death of an on-duty doctor. We demanded adjournment of the session today. People from all over Kolkata are taking to the streets. We wanted to adjourn the House and hold it some other day but TMC did not agree.”
Reacting to the walkout by the BJP, KMC mayor Firhad Hakim, said, “Whom are they asking for justice from? The CBI is carrying out the investigation, which is under the central government. Apart from this, there is no point in acting here as a representative of those who released the rapists of Gujarat from jail and felicitated them with garlands.”