New Delhi:

Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, who has shredded the Mamata Banerjee government repeatedly over the young doctor’s rape and murder, spoke to her parents today, assuring them that he would make every effort to get them justice. In response to the parents’ complaint that they did not even receive a copy of the First Information Report, he said he would look into the matter. He also requested for a meeting, saying he would visit them at their convenience on his return from Delhi.

There was also a message for Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, posted on X by his office soon after the Supreme Court hearing on the matter. 

“The nation, the entire nation, hear with great relief the pronouncements of the Supreme Court. Remember, every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future. Anybody listening? Will Mamata Banerjee please raise her hand?” he said.

Later, from his newly initiated mobile control room for the ongoing agitation over the rape-murder, the Governor spoke to the father of the woman, and said the entire country is standing by them.

“We all are with you. You will get justice. Today I am in Delhi, I held discussions in detail about the matter. I will go to your residence as per your convenience,” he was seen telling the father in a video message released by his office.

Mr Bose was in Delhi today, where he met President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.  He reached Cuttack in the evening, from where he dialled the doctor’s mother.

His move, though, was strongly criticized by the Trinamool Congress. Party MP Derek O’Brien posted: “Your video today disrespects the high constitutional post you hold… The telephone call you had with the father of the rape victim was recorded by you and then publicized. Tasteless. Unethical. Please do not use your high office and a gruesome tragedy for self publicity.”

The mobile control room, the Governor’s office said, was meant for the ongoing agitation in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 2nd year PGT female resident doctor of R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital Kolkata. “Anyone may call up the numbers if they wish to convey anything to HG (Governor of Kolkata),” added the post.

Kolkata:

Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, in the backdrop of sexual harassment allegations against him, has declared that he would allow the public to see the video footage of the concerned day “but not Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or her police”.

The Raj Bhavan handle today posted a statement titled “Sach ke Saamne Programme” that said the Governor has launched the programme to counter “mischievous and fabricated allegations by the police” that the Raj Bhavan is not sparing the footage.

The Governor has now decided that the footage will be placed in public domain and will be shown to the first 100 people who wish to see it. They will be given access to the footage at the Raj Bhavan. The people will be picked from among those who apply to see it on mail or through phone call, the statement added.

On May 2, a woman claiming to be a temporary staff member attached to the Peace Room in the Raj Bhavan, had approached the police post inside the Governor’s House and accused Mr Bose of molesting her. In a statement, Mr Bose’s office called it an “engineered narrative”.

“If anybody wants some election benefits by maligning me, God Bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal,” the statement added.

The Raj Bhavan staff was told to ignore police queries, entry was refused to the police and the state finance minister and the police were not provided with CCTV footage of the day in question.

In today’s statement, the Raj Bhavan said the matter is under “illegal and unconstitutional investigation of the police”. Article 361 of the Constitution has granted to immunity to Governors and the President from criminal proceedings during their term in office.

Amid the general election, the matter has acquired political overtones with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hitting out at the Governor and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.