Kolkata, Aug 28 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party of conspiring against her government and dared him to face her democratically. The Trinamool Congress chief also vowed to convene an Assembly session to recommend capital punishment for rapists.
Addressing a gathering on the 27th foundation day of the party’s student wing at Mayo Road, Banerjee accused Modi and the BJP of attempting to destabilise her government and conspiring against the West Bengal government since 2014, the year Modi became Prime Minister.
Accusing the BJP of orchestrating Tuesday’s violent Nabanna Avijan or march to secretariat and subsequently calling a Bengal bandh on Wednesday, Banerjee warned, “We have the right to stop any move to destabilise the state government.”
Expressing solidarity with the ongoing medic agitation in the aftermath of murder of a lady doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and hospital, Banerjee said the striking doctors should also understand the hardships of patients and gradually join duty as suggested by the Supreme Court recently.
“We have not taken any action on the striking medics so far and the murder probe has been taken over by the CBI, therefore, the doctors should also understand the hardship of the poor people and gradually resume duty,” the TMC supremo said.
“We want the hanging of the culprit and why isn’t the Centre formulating a law for capital punishment for crime against women,” she asked.
Banerjee also hit out at the BJP for calling a shutdown. “We do not support this bandh. We have dedicated this day to the RG Kar doctor. We want justice but BJP today called for a bandh,” she said.
She alleged that the BJP’s bandh was aimed to tarnish West Bengal’s image and disrupt investigation into the hospital murder case.
“Next week, we will call an Assembly session and pass a Bill within 10 days to ensure capital punishment for rapists. We will send this Bill to the Governor. If he doesn’t pass, we will sit outside Raj Bhavan. This Bill must be passed and he cannot evade accountability this time,” she said.
Meanwhile, the junior medics cease-work entered the 20th day on Wednesday seeking justice of the lady medic.
“Our demands include suspension of the former principal Sandip Ghosh and removal of Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal,” said a medic, who took part in a rally in north Kolkata on Wednesday.
