Expressing her outrage over the rape and murder of a female resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, Asha Devi, the mother of Nirbhaya, described the incident as “the most unfortunate thing that has happened.”
She criticised the ongoing political blame game, stating that “governments are accusing each other and holding protests instead of focusing on the case, women’s safety, and addressing shortcomings in the law.”
In a video message, Asha Devi criticised the West Bengal Chief Minister, questioning why she was protesting and demanding capital punishment despite having authority over the health ministry, police, and the legal system.
“The Health Ministry and the police fall under the Chief Minister’s jurisdiction. I don’t understand whom she is protesting against or from whom she is demanding capital punishment. The law is in her hands; the government can at least ensure the case is properly presented to the lower court,” she said.
Asha Devi further noted that whenever such incidents occur, Nirbhaya’s name is invoked, but questioned, “What have we learned from the Nirbhaya incident? What changes have been made to the system? … We are still stuck in 2012.”
She also demanded punishment for all those involved in the case and voiced concern for women’s safety.
“If more than one person was involved, all the accused must be apprehended immediately and punished without delay. It is still unclear whether the victim was assaulted by one person or gang-raped. Such a heinous crime occurred while a doctor was on duty in a hospital. If doctors are not safe inside hospitals, what hope is there for the safety of ordinary women and girls?” she said.
Earlier, on August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community.
On August 14, the protest site and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalized by a mob, prompting security personnel to disperse the crowd.