August 14th 2024.
The recent rape and murder of a female doctor at the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata has sparked a debate within the ruling Trinamool Congress party. The issue came to light when various civil liberty groups announced a 'Midnight Protest March by Women in Kolkata' to be held on Wednesday night.
While some members of the party, including a senior Rajya Sabha member and a woman councillor, have publicly expressed their support for the event, others have raised concerns about its true intentions. One former spokesperson of the party has even gone so far as to claim that the march is a plot by the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to defame the state government.
In a statement released late Tuesday night, veteran party member Sukhendu Sekhar Ray announced his decision to join the protesters, citing his personal connection to the issue as a father and grandfather. "We cannot stand by and watch as women continue to suffer. It is time for us to come together and fight against this cruelty," he said.
Similarly, a councillor from Ward number 37 under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has also taken to social media to urge people to unite in protecting the dignity and lives of women.
However, not everyone within the party shares the same sentiment. Kunal Ghosh, another party leader, has strongly criticized the Midnight Protest March, calling it a political move by the CPI and BJP. He has advised party members not to participate in the event and has even warned against taking selfies there. According to Ghosh, the media will use the protest as a tool for propaganda and he believes that more women will be working their night shifts than attending the march.
The issue of women's safety and the response of the state government has become a hot topic of discussion, with different factions within the ruling party taking opposing stances. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether the Midnight Protest March will go ahead as planned and what impact it will have on the current political climate in Kolkata.
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