Parents of RG Kar hospital victim doing politics by maligning CM: West Bengal minister
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim said on Sunday that the parents of the RG Kar hospital victim are doing politics by maligning Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
A day earlier, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that the parents of the R G Kar hospital victim are being "used" by the forces which want to "defame, malign and plot conspiracy against the Mamata Banerjee government".
Joining his Trinamool Congress colleague Ghosh, Hakim said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been elected by popular mandate and not by "those who are using the grief-stricken parents as puppets.
Replying to a question by reporters on the sidelines of a Republic Day function in the city, the Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said, "I share the extreme pain and anguish of the parents. I share their reservations about the way the CBI investigated the case after taking it over from Kolkata Police.
"But when they (the RG Kar victim's parents) target the CM and malign her without any reason, I have to say they are exceeding the brief. They are not supposed to speak on the governance of the CM who came to power by popular mandate and not by the wish of forces who are using the parents as puppets for their agenda," the minister said.
Hakim, who is also the mayor of Kolkata, alleged the parents are doing politics over the issue and playing in the hands of vested interests. "They should not mouth scripted lines like parrots," he said.
The strong reactions by the two ruling party leaders were preceded by comments of the parents of the deceased post-graduate trainee doctor.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cannot disown the responsibility for the alleged attempt of the police and hospital authorities to destroy evidence of the rape and murder of their daughter, the parents claimed on Friday.
They attempted to shield the “main conspirators” behind the crime, while the CBI failed to bring to book all the perpetrators and overlooked the larger conspiracy aspect, the parents claimed on Friday.
Kunal Ghosh on Saturday said, "Please don't let yourself (parents) be used by any party with a vested interest.
In response to Ghosh's comment, the father of the deceased medic told reporters on Saturday, "We have not been used by any quarter. We have lost everything. We only wish that justice is done to our daughter before our death.
"Yes, we think this CM has utterly failed. We have every right to say whatever we feel like," the father later said at a meeting organised by 'Abhaya manch' a platform demanding justice for the raped-murdered R G Kar medic.
The deceased medic’s mother told a Bengali TV channel on Friday, "Everyone - Kolkata Police, the hospital administration and people's representatives from the TMC - played an active role to hush up the ghastly incident so that truth does not come to light.
The body of the 31-year-old post-graduate trainee was found in a semi-naked state in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 last year.
The trial court on January 20 sentenced Sanjay Roy, the lone convict, to life imprisonment till death in the rape-murder case.
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SC dismisses Jharkhand govt’s plea against HC decision quashing criminal case against BJP leaders
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea of the Jharkhand government against the high court’s decision quashing criminal cases against state BJP leaders and MP Nishikant Dubey over protests held in Ranchi in 2023, observing that prohibitory orders are misused whenever there is a protest.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said it is not inclined to interfere with the August 14, 2024 order of the high court and dismissed the appeal.
At the outset, the counsel appearing for the Jharkhand government said despite prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC in place, the accused held a protest which turned violent and several people, including administrative officials, were injured. The high court erred in its finding and said they have the right to protest, the counsel said.
The bench observed that nowadays there is tendency to impose prohibitory orders, whenever there is protest.
"If we interfere, it will send the wrong signal. What is the requirement of issuing orders under section 144 of CrPC, if somebody wants to hold a demonstration. This happens because section 144 of CrPC is being misused," the bench said.
The counsel said the protest turned violent and stone pelting was done.
The protest was held by the Central and state BJP leaders on April 11, 2023 in Ranchi, in which over 5,000 people participated at a time when prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC were in place.
In August last year, the high court, while quashing the case registered against the BJP leaders, said the right of people to hold peaceful protests and demonstrations, etc is a fundamental right guaranteed under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of the Constitution.
"Right to protest is recognised as a fundamental right under the Constitution of India. Further, this right is crucial in a democracy which rests on participation of an informed citizenry in governance and it strengthens representative democracy by enabling direct participation in public affairs where individuals and groups are able to express dissent and grievances, expose the flaws in governance and demand accountability from the State authorities as well as powerful entities," it had said.
The high court said holding peaceful demonstrations by the citizenry in order to air its grievances and to ensure that these grievances are heard in the relevant quarters is its fundamental right.
