Kolkata doctor rape case: Mamata Banerjee clarifies ‘if Bengal burns’ remark, ‘did not threaten doctors’

Kolkata doctor rape case: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, August 29, clarified her 'if Bengal burns’ remark and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allegations that she was threatening the protesters who have held demonstrations and rallies against the Kolkata doctor's rape case. In a long post on X, Mamata Banerjee said she did not “utter a single word" against the medical students or their movements or “threaten” them.

“I detect a malicious disinformation campaign in some print, electronic and digital media which has been unleashed with reference to a speech that I made in our students' programme yesterday. Let me most emphatically clarify that I have not uttered a single word against the (medical etc.) students or their movements. I totally support their movement. Their movement is genuine. I never threatened them, as some people are accusing me of doing," Mamata Banerjee said.

The West Bengal chief minister also asserted that she spoke against the BJP and accused them of trying to create anarchy in the state with the support of the Central government.

"With support from Centre, they are trying to create lawlessness and I have raised my voice against them. I also clarify that the phrase ("phonsh kara") that I had used in my speech yesterday is a quote from Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa Deva. The legendary saint had said that occasionally there is need to raise one's voice. When there are crimes and criminal offences, voice of protest has to be raised. My speech on that point was a direct allusion to the great Ramakrishnite saying," Mamata Banerjee said.

WHAT DID MAMATA BANERJEE SAY?

Speaking at a public programme in Kolkata, which has turned into a fortress after the alleged gang rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital, Mamata Banerjee shot off a warning to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over protests and rallies linked to the Kolkata doctor rape case.

Mamata Banerjee said PM Modi was using his party, the BJP, to “cause fire in Bengal” over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor, while warning him that “if you burn Bengal, other states including Assam, North-East, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Delhi too shall burn and your chair will be toppled.”

“Some people think this is Bangladesh. I love Bangladesh; they speak like us and share our culture. But remember, Bangladesh is a separate country, and India is a separate country. Modi Babu is using his party to cause fire here [in Kolkata],” Mamata Banerjee had said, prompting sharp reactions from the BJP.

A 31-year-old trainee doctor of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was allegedly gangraped and murdered inside the seminar hall of the facility in the early hours of August 9, triggering massive protests across the country.