Kolkata: The RG Kar rape-murder case has once again taken a political turn, with the victim’s father launching a sharp attack on the Left Front, accusing it of exploiting the incident for electoral gains.
Speaking to the media, the father alleged that Left leaders joined protests not out of genuine concern for justice but for “their own political interests”. He claimed that no one had truly fought for his daughter and accused the Left of using the movement to strengthen its electoral position.
The remarks came as the mother of the RG Kar victim is reportedly nominated as a candidate of the BJP in the Panihati constituency.
The remarks have triggered reactions from Left leaders, including Minakshi Mukherjee, who rejected the allegations. She asserted that the Left had stood by the victim’s family from the very beginning of the incident and actively protested for justice. Referring to early developments in the case, she highlighted how Left activists had resisted the hurried cremation and raised questions over the handling of evidence.
Mukherjee further questioned the politicisation of the issue, stating that their protests were not driven by party affiliations.
“Did we know the victim’s political identity when we protested?” she remarked, adding that the victim was “everyone’s daughter” and the fight was about ensuring safety and justice for all women.
The exchange underscores how the RG Kar case continues to remain a flashpoint in West Bengal’s political discourse. Amid this, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday formed a new bench of Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Rai Chattopadhyay to hear the RG Kar rape and murder case. Earlier, the matter was listed before the division bench of Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi, who recused themselves from the case due to a lack of jurisdiction and the matter was referred to Chief Justice Sujoy Paul for re-assignment. The matter is likely to be taken up on Tuesday.