Annapurna Devi.
Credit: X/@Annapurna4BJP
New Delhi: Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday over the alleged rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata and alleged that the police, in collaboration with "TMC goons", conspired to destroy evidence related to the case.
The minister also accused the West Bengal government of mishandling the case.
Condemning the state government for organising a protest march against its own failures, she called it a sham and highlighted the lack of action against criminals and rapists.
Her comments came in the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder of a medic at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the subsequent vandalism at the facility.
The case has sparked widespread outrage, leading to protests around the state and the country.
A civic volunteer of the Kolkata Police was arrested in this connection.
Devi also alleged that the state police, in collaboration with "TMC goons", were involved in a conspiracy to destroy evidence related to the case, referring to unidentified goons vandalising parts of the facility during a protest against the incident.
"The atrocities against women under a woman chief minister's leadership are a testament to the government's incompetence and insensitivity," Devi said, questioning how much further the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government would fall in its governance.
Her comments came a day after the National Commission for Women pointed to lapses in security, infrastructure and investigation in the case.
The women's rights body inquiry revealed that no security guards were present at the time of the incident, leaving on-call interns, doctors and nurses without sufficient protection during their night shift.