TMC Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is seems to be facing a severe crisis of her political journey. Her challenges are not confined to her government and administration following a 31-year-old doctor’s brutal rape and murder, within her own party Trinamool Congress also for the first time facing severe crisis.
Her own nephew, believed to be her political successor Abhishek Banarjee, who is considered as No 2 in the party, is practically different from her in the present crisis. As she is facing one of the biggest challenges of her chief ministership due to heat over its handling of the Kolkata hospital episode, Abhishek is practically keeping his distance from her.
The Diamond Harbour MP, who sought an “encounter” against the accused in one of his first reactions to the R G Kar Hospital case, was a notable absentee at Mamata’s “protest” march over the case, which was criticised for being empty rhetoric, when what was needed as concrete action by the Chief Minister.
Being the Chief Minister, handling both Home and Health ministries instead of holding responsibility for the turmoil, protesting on the street warning CBI said to be not received well by the people.
Sources close to Abhishek claim he wanted to clearly convey his unhappiness over how the matter has been handled, from the rapid posting of the removed R G Kar Hospital principal to another hospital, and the failure of the police to stop a mob that attacked doctors sitting in protest over the rape and murder.
A senior TMC leader close to Abhishek said, “He is of the opinion that strict action be taken against the hospital administration head and police officials concerned. It is clear that people did not do their duty. That is why he has distanced himself from the government and administration.”