Mamata Banerjee Praises Kolkata Police For Suppressing Nabanna March, Claims BJP Defaming West Bengal In RG Kar Case

The Kolkata Police used water cannons, tear gas shells and lathi-charged at a few places to stop the protestors from marching towards the West Bengal secretariat Nabanna on Tuesday (27 August).

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is organising a 12-hour Bengal bandh to protest against the police action, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has commended the police for 'handling the protest well.'

While speaking at the 27th Foundation Day of West Bengal Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, Banerjee said, "We saw pictures from yesterday (Nabanna Abhiyan rally), I salute the police for handling the situation well."

She opposed the BJP's call for a bandh and said, "BJP never demanded the resignations of the CMs of UP, MP and even Manipur... They don't want justice, they are only trying to defame Bengal."

The protests are being organised demanding justice for the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on 9 August.

On the crime, Banerjee said, "For this, there is only one punishment- to hang till death," and promised to 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 attacking Governor C V Anand Bose.

Similarly, her nephew Abhishek Banerjee warned the Centre of a 'a big movement in Delhi' if a time-bound legislation pertaining to the crimes against women is not passed in the next three to four months.