A heated exchange erupted on X between the BJP's IT cell head, Amit Malviya, and the Kolkata Police after a mob vandalised the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on Wednesday night. Malviya responded sharply to a tweet by the Kolkata Police, criticising their handling of the situation and accusing them of failing to prevent violence at the hospital.
Malviya's tweet came after the Kolkata Police warned against spreading "unverified news" about the crime scene, stating that the seminar room, where a post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead on August 9, had not been tampered with. The police also threatened legal action against those spreading rumours.
In his response, Malviya accused the Kolkata Police of disappearing on orders during the incident and failing to control the mob that vandalised the hospital on Wednesday night. He further alleged that the police were being used as a tool by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, referring to them as her "doormat."
"Kolkata Police would be advised to exercise restrain and not threaten individuals and media persons for reporting or talking about the vandalism and the crime in RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. It is a fact that THIS IS the Ground Floor of the Emergency Building, which houses the Chest Department on the 4th floor, where the lady doctor was raped and murdered. What is ‘unverified’ in this? First, Kolkata Police disappeared on orders, failed to stop the rioting and now is blaming citizens for speaking up. Stop being Mamata Banerjee’s doormat all the time," wrote Malviya on X.
The incident has sparked widespread concern, especially among the medical community. Anupam Roy, a final-year MBBS student at the college, accused the mob of deliberately targeting the protest site. According to Roy, the protest was peaceful until a large group forcibly entered the hospital premises, vandalising property and attacking protestors.
"Yesterday we were having a peaceful protest, we had planned to arrange a rally of female nurses, doctors and students. When we were getting ready to start the rally, a huge mob came. We requested them to continue their rally and not try to interfere as there are female protestors. Then the mob tried to get into our protest," the final-year MBBS student alleged.
Roy further alleged, "When the mob entered we ran to look for the safe places to hide. The mob vandalised everything. They did not stop there. The mob just came to break the protest in a targeted and organised way".
Kolkata Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal responded to the criticism, stating that the police had acted correctly and that rumours were being spread maliciously by the media. He said that the police had been transparent and were committed to the safety of the public.
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The incident has also drawn reactions from political leaders. Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee condemned the violence, calling it "unacceptable" and urging the police to arrest those responsible within 24 hours. He also expressed support for the protesting doctors, stating that their demands for safety and security were justified.
The situation at RG Kar Medical College continues to be tense, with ongoing protests and a CBI investigation into the death of the trainee doctor.