A post by TMC leader Kunal Ghosh on Saturday afternoon on X (formerly Twitter) has created a sensation. In his post Kunal expressed a desire for Abhishek to be “actively at the forefront.” He also mentioned, “We must correct some of our mistakes and take the right steps to break all conspiracies.”
Many believe that Kunal’s post clearly indicates that there were “mistakes” during the R G Kar episode, though he did not specify whether these mistakes were at the administrative or organizational level.
Kunal’s post on social media is being reposted by individuals close to Abhishek. Notably, one of Abhishek’s close allies, who had previously defended him against senior leaders during the young vs old controversy, has also reposted Kunal’s message. Various district-level student and youth leaders are also reposting Kunal’s post, which is considered significant for TMC’s internal dynamics. In his post, Kunal wrote: “RG Kar: We are also protesters. We demand punishment for the guilty. The Left-BJP is engaging in vulture politics against Trinamul and Bengal. Leader Mamata Banerjee is leading the fight to stop this. We need Abhishek Banerjee to actively take charge as well.” Since Thursday, Abhishek’s Camac Street office has stepped back from handling media communications, a task that is now being managed by the office of the party’s state president, Subrata Bakshi. Many senior TMC leaders see this as a sign of Abhishek’s discontent during the R G Kar episode. The way Abhishek’s office has distanced itself from media-related responsibilities has led some to believe that a “distance” has once again developed at the top levels of TMC leadership.
On 10 August, Abhishek held an administrative meeting in his Lok Sabha constituency, Diamond Harbour. Coincidentally, the day before, there were allegations of rape and murder against a doctor at R G Kar Medical College. After the meeting, Abhishek stated, “Those who commit such acts should be encountered. There is no need to nurture them with public money.” Since then, Abhishek has not publicly reacted much to the incident. However, on Wednesday midnight, after the attack at R G Kar Medical College, Abhishek himself spoke with Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, which he posted on X. He wrote, “The hooliganism at R G Kar has crossed all limits. As a public representative, I spoke with the Kolkata Police Commissioner. I requested that action be taken against those involved within 24 hours, regardless of their political affiliation. The demands of the protesting doctors are justified. Their minimum demand for security should be taken seriously.”
On Friday morning, Kolkata Police responded to the post, informing that 19 people had been arrested in connection with the R G Kar attack. Abhishek reposted this. His followers also spread screenshots of both the original post and the repost on social media, highlighting the part where Abhishek had mentioned “arrests within 24 hours.” This has been considered significant, as arrests began within 24 hours of the vandalism incident. In Kunal’s Saturday post, there is also mention of correcting mistakes. This has led many to believe that Kunal has indirectly acknowledged that some actions were mistaken.
However, many senior TMC leaders in private are saying that if Sandeep Ghosh (the former principal of R G Kar Medical College) had not been appointed as the principal of National Medical College within four hours of his removal from R G Kar, so much controversy would not have arisen. Regarding Kunal’s post about correcting mistakes, state minister Firhad Hakim said, “Did Kunal mention mistakes regarding R G Kar? I’m not aware of that.” When asked about Abhishek’s “inactivity,” Firhad said, “There is only one TMC. As far as I know, Abhishek has an eye problem.”
However, many senior TMC leaders, in private, say that Abhishek was already dissatisfied with several issues, and the “mismanagement” during the R G Kar episode has exacerbated that. In this context, a senior TMC leader commented, “During the Sandeshkhali episode, Abhishek himself had designed the strategy to manage the situation. The narrative that emerged from the sting operation at that time made it possible to expose the smear campaign against TMC. In the current scenario surrounding R G Kar, the way the party is being attacked must also be countered. Abhishek’s input and participation are necessary for this.”