The Serampore MP, Kalyan Banerjee on Sunday accused the Opposition BJP and CPI-M of trying to hijack the non-political mass movement against the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital for their own political ends. Mr Banerjee, speaking during a protest rally at Serampore organised against crimes against women, said: “I respect the mass movement of the women in large against the atrocities on women and their demand for justice and capital punishment for rapists.

“The protest movement on 14 August midnight was purely non-political and peaceful with a specific aim and object… It was an awareness movement for the women to arise and awake against anti-social elements who are preying on women,” he said. Referring to the RG Kar incident, he pointed out: “The state chief minister Mamata Banerjee was highly concerned over the incident and took the initiative to arrest the main accused within a few hours. “The Kolkata police appeared quite capable to put the investigation on fast track and deliver the most stern punishment to the offender,” he said.

Mr Banerjee said the Trinamul Congress, honouring the mass movement against crimes against women, also stepped out on the road demanding justice as well as capital punishment for the culprits involved in the incident. “The TMC, a ruling political party was with the general mass in their protest completely in an non-political manner,” Mr Banerjee said. “However the CPI-M, the BJP and others, alarmed by the public support for the Trinamul Congress’ protest movement, jumped into the fray with narrow political intentions, he claimed.

“They entirely changed the nature of the mass movement into a political agitation demanding the resignation of the state chief minister and misleading and misguiding the Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries to give up their benefits,” the MP charged.

“The voice of protest against the atrocities on women and the demand for capital punishment of the culprits was lost. Misinterpration of facts and instigation and provocation led to violence,” he said. He remarked that though the CBI has taken over the investigation of the RG Kar incident, more than 18 days have passed without their reaching any conclusions. “We demand fast justice and capital punishment’