Three people have been arrested in West Bengal's Uluberia for allegedly assaulting a woman doctor at a state-run hospital and threatening her with rape. The shocking incident, which comes a year after a doctor's brutal rape-murder at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, has sparked a political blame game between the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition BJP.
The incident occurred on Monday at Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Government Medical College and Hospital at Uluberia in Howrah district. The accused, it is learnt, are relatives of a patient admitted to the hospital. On Monday afternoon, they had an altercation with the doctor, during which they allegedly assaulted her. The doctor later filed a complaint with the police, leading to the arrests. Among those arrested is a man working as a Home Guard. The three accused have been identified as Sheikh Samrat, Sheikh Babulal -- the Home Guard working as a traffic cop -- and Sheikh Hasibul.
The Joint Forum of Doctors, an organisation representing doctors in Bengal, visited the Uluberia hospital, and raised concerns over the safety of doctors on duty.
The opposition BJP has targeted Trinamool over the incident. State BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said the Mamata Banerjee government did not take any lesson from the RG Kar Medical College incident. "Trinamool has created a troubled society where perverted Home Guards and civic volunteers are part of the party. They believe it is their government. They do not care about police or administration. There is no CCTV surveillance. It is an unfortunate incident," he said.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said women in Bengal are "terrifyingly unsafe" under Mamata Banerjee's rule.
"After the bone-chilling R.G. Kar Medical College rape and murder incident, the Chief Minister's loud claims stand completely exposed. The latest proof - the shocking incident at Uluberia Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Government Medical College in Howrah. A woman doctor was harassed and threatened with rape inside the hospital by a Home Guard! The doctor also alleged that there were no security personnel present at the time. The victim is now traumatised and living in fear," he said on X.
"No matter how much the failed Chief Minister @MamataOfficial tries to shirk responsibility, she and her incompetent, exposed police administration are squarely to blame. Under Mamata Banerjee's rule, women in Bengal are terrifyingly unsafe and each such incident shows the Trinamool government's sins have overflown their limits," Majumdar added.
Trinamool spokesperson Arun Chakraborty described the Uluberia incident as "condemnable and unfortunate". "But, all the accused have been arrested. But why was (BJP leader) Suvendu Adhikari silent when one of his party workers was arrested in a rape case in Nandigram," he hit back.
