Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has urged the mother of the RG Kar Medical College rape-and-murder victim to campaign in Bhabanipur, directly targeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her constituency.
Adhikari made the appeal during a meeting with the victim’s parents, requesting the BJP candidate from Panihati to visit Bhabanipur “at least once” after completing her campaign in her own constituency. He said she should convey her allegations against the state’s leadership—including the health and police departments—to voters in Bhabanipur.
The appeal comes shortly after the Bharatiya Janata Party nominated the bereaved mother as its candidate from Panihati, bringing her into active electoral politics. Her candidature is seen as part of the party’s strategy to channel public outrage over the 2024 RG Kar incident into its campaign narrative.
Adhikari, who is contesting from Bhabanipur as well as his traditional seat Nandigram, has been intensifying his campaign against Banerjee, seeking to mount a direct challenge in what is considered the Chief Minister’s political stronghold. His call to involve the victim’s mother in Bhabanipur campaigning signals an attempt to foreground issues of women’s safety and alleged governance failures in the state.
The RG Kar case, which had sparked widespread protests across West Bengal, continues to remain a central political issue in the run-up to the elections. The victim’s mother, now a BJP candidate, has positioned her political entry as a fight for justice and citizens’ rights, particularly focusing on women’s safety and accountability.
With campaigning gaining momentum, the development underscores how the emotionally charged RG Kar case has become a key battleground in Bengal’s high-stakes electoral contest, with both sides seeking to shape public opinion around governance, justice, and institutional responsibility.
