Congress-TMC Tussle over Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case Exhibits Their Tentative Ties

The Kolkata doctor rape and murder case has brought the fragile nature of the already brittle relations between the Congress and Trinamool Congress to the forefront. Rahul Gandhi’s statement expressing concern over the horrific incident at RG Kar Hospital was the latest trigger. He upset West Bengal’s ruling TMC by suggesting that the local administration was trying to cover up the crime.

With his statement, Gandhi seemed to be giving the message to his party members to go ahead and stand with the protesting students and the young doctor’s family even if it meant taking on an INDIA bloc ally. As reports of scuffle and violence during late-night protests in Kolkata emerged, the Congress hit out.

Party general secretary Deepa Dasmunsi said, “It is a reality that this is not the first time such an incident has happened in Bengal. After Mamata Banerjee government came to power, from Park Street to one after the other, several such incidents have taken place.”

Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate too condemned the violence that broke out at night. “Why did the local administration try to cover up the crime? The violence we saw yesterday is unacceptable and it is not the answer to anything,” she said. Party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused Mamata Banerjee of being “anti-women”.

The TMC responded combatively.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is now probing the rape and murder case that has shaken the nation. The semi-nude body of the woman PGT doctor, a second-year student in the chest medicine department, was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital on Friday. She was on duty on Thursday night, and her body bore multiple injury marks.

But why did the Congress take the bait to attack the TMC and the state government, knowing that it would upset Mamata? The reason is that Rahul Gandhi believes selective outrage would harm him and his party, which has claimed to stand up for the youth and women. Having played the incidents of Hathras, Unnao, and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, prolonged silence over the RG Kar Hospital case would have made things tough for the Congress and the Gandhis. Also, the Bharatiya Janata Party had already been attacking the INDIA bloc leaders over their “double standards”.

Will this stand of the Congress worsen its already blow-hot-blow-cold ties with TMC? Saket Gokhale is considered to be the voice of the CM and he would not have said what he said without her sanction, say observers. Trinamool feels that the BJP has politicised the issue and Mamata is being proactive in delivering justice. The Congress, as per the TMC, is now speaking the BJP’s language. This war could have a deep impact on the ties of the two INDIA bloc allies.