An altar of framed images of 'Abhaya' at a Kolkata protest. Representative image.
Reuters
Kolkata: BJP MLAs on Monday offered condolence inside the West Bengal assembly complex to the doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered in a state-run hospital, after the Speaker rejected their demand to include her on the list of obituary references.
Monday was the inaugural day of a two-day special session to table and pass a Bill seeking capital punishment for rape convicts.
After Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay rejected the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari’s demand for making obituary references to the deceased medic, a heated exchange of words followed.
Ruling TMC MLAs accused the BJP leader of politicising a shocking incident of rape and murder of a woman, instead of supporting the state's demand for capital punishment for rapists.
Adhikari said he would voice the BJP stand on the issue of capital punishment during the debate the next day but wondered why the assembly could not take a unified stand on such a heinous crime when a reference is being made passed in memory of former chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee.
Bandyopadhyay asked, "Can you name the victim? How can you pass a condolence without naming the deceased?” Identifying a rape victim is prohibited by a Supreme Court order.
The Speaker then read out a note expressing grief on the death of Bhattacharya and the members observed silence for two minutes.
He then adjourned the House till 11:30 am on Tuesday.
The BJP MLAs, numbering 52, then assembled in the lobby of the House and went around the premises silently holding candles and posters that read: "We pray for the departed soul of the doctor sister. Rest in peace." Adhikari alleged that the state government is responsible for the heinous crime committed on a woman at her workplace.
“We only wanted to pass a unanimous resolution expressing grief over the death of the sister-doctor of R G Kar Hospital. We would have sent the resolution to her parents. This state machinery has become insensitive to the people whom they had requested to vote," he told reporters.
To a question, he said naming the deceased is not mandatory for condolence.
“Doesn't the assembly pass condolence notes for the victims of natural disasters and train accidents? We don't name the deceased persons individually (in those cases). I have been a member of this House since 2006," Adhikari said.
The Speaker later told reporters in his room that he had nothing else to add to what he said on the floor of the House.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chatterjee said that as it is not possible to pay condolences to any unnamed individual, the BJP's proposal could not be accepted.