No festival without justice for RG Kar: Angry protesters send a loud and clear message to Mamata Banerjee

"One month has passed. I would request all people to return to puja and festivals. I would also appeal to the CBI to deliver justice quickly," said Mamata Banerjee on Monday at an administrative meeting on Durga Puja, which unlocks the door of the line of festivals in the last quarter of the year.

The Chief Minister, who herself inaugurates an end number of puja marquees, several of which are run by her own party colleagues, passed the remark apparently emboldened by the Supreme Court order asking the junior doctors, who are on ceasework demanding justice, to resume work by 5 pm on Tuesday.

"It's a plain tactic to divert people's attention from the demand for justice. How can she be so shameless to talk about festivity when people of different ages are crying for justice? How can she be so insensitive?.." says one Bimal Roy sipping coffee at the iconic Indian Coffee House in Kolkata's College Street area minutes after the traditional cafe station switched off lights and lit candles in solidarity.

Mamata's renewed enthusiasm for Durga Puja comes after she faced an unrivalled protests from the public without any political affiliations over the rape-murder incident, where her police are accused of covering up or not following the rule book.

Though the ruling party (Trinamool Congress) spokespersons are defending the Kolkata police, the judiciary, which is also facing the brunt now, pulled up the administration on a number of actions including the demolition work near the crime scene.

Indrani Maity, who joined a city rally all the way from Haldia, trashed the Chief Minister's appeal saying, "Our daughter (the victim) is yet to get justice. We will enjoy and get back to festivity only when justice is delivered."

"Rapists are protected as they are core voters of her party. The government will topple if she goes against them," says an angry gentleman who preferred to remain anonymous.

Soon after the Chief Minister passed the remark, the victim's mother said it's up to people whether they will return to festivity, but it's all over for her in life.

"If people return to festivity, it's their choice entirely... Durga Puja will not be the same for me," she says and adds in the same line, "Would she (Chief Minister) have said the same thing if something similar had happened to someone from her own family?"

The public mood on ground is not well defined from what has transpired on social media, where several pro-government posts are flooded with comments aiming at the incumbent.

Mamata's 'Utshobe firun' or 'return to festival' appeal was outrightly rejected by scores of users who wrote 'Utshobe firchina' or 'not returning to festival'.

The appeal to call off the state government's mega Durga Puja carnival, which is held with much pomp and grandeur at Red Road every year, has landed on Facebook.

Senior journalist Supratik Sengupta writes, "Let there be Durga Puja but call off carnival this year."

Amid public outrage over Mamata's remark, a section of people are out of sorts over the sluggish move by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Supreme Court, which has been accused by some of spending more time on the movement than probe outcomes in its third hearing on September 9, a day more than a month since the crime was committed. 

"Justice should be delivered quickly. A one-week time till the next hearing is only diluting the process. I feel the delay will not deliver justice because the Centre and State will strike an understanding by that time," says Mrinal Kanta Saha and adds, "I oppose the court's direction to the junior doctors to resume work. If they get back to work, the entire movement will fall flat. The movement must go on till justice is delivered."

"I couldn't find anything substantial in the latest hearing. Our movement will escalate if the court hearings proceed in this manner," says Ayushi, a medical student.

(Images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)