Indian doctor: Rape and murder threaten the power of veteran politician Mamata Banerjee

The Kolkata case has become similar to the infamous Nirbhaya case of December 2012, which involved the gang rape and fatal assault of a physiotherapy intern. The incident sparked massive nationwide protests and ultimately led to the fall of the Congress-led national coalition government.

Banerjee is the leader of the All India Trinamool Congress Party (AITC), which controls the government in West Bengal, whose capital is Kolkata. The AITC is one of the main opponents of the BJP, which governs the country.

On Tuesday, India's Supreme Court criticised the AITC-led government for its sloppy handling of the August 9 incident. In a statement, the court said: “It seems [the] The crime was discovered in the early hours of the morning, [and the] The rector of the medical school tried to pass it off as suicide.”

Sandip Ghosh, who recently resigned from his post as principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the crime took place, was initially transferred to another college after the incident, which attracted public attention. Ghosh has previously been accused of corruption.

The behavior of the authorities also gave rise to suspicions after a mob entered the university campus around midnight on August 14 and devastated the crime scene. The question arises whether the act was staged or just an expression of the protesters' outrage.

The Supreme Court also reprimanded the authorities for the hours-long delay in registering an official complaint by the police, which is an essential part of the investigation.

“Mamata did not react immediately after the rape. Now many of her party members seem to be angry with her,” said Nag. At the same time, he stressed that it would not be easy to replace Mamata, who almost single-handedly brought the Trinamool Congress to power. “She is practically running a one-man show.”

Banerjee began her political career in the 1970s with the student wing of the Congress Party and left in 1998 to found the party.

Banerjee established herself as a feisty political leader known for her modest lifestyle, living in a single-storey house beside a dingy lane in Kolkata and always wearing an inexpensive white cotton sari.

The seven-time member of the Indian Parliament has successfully carved out a political niche for himself by outlining his vision for development, responding to the deep resentment of the middle class and unemployed youth in the province by promising jobs and development opportunities.

But behind the protests against the Calcutta rape and murder victim, analysts say, lies a deeper anger and frustration towards her regime, which has failed to keep many of its promises.

Pratip Chattopadhyay Nadia, a professor at Kalyani University, said complaints against Banerjee's regime had increased because the education sector was in chaos and promises to strengthen the public hospital network had not been kept.

“The complaints of women have been there since the first day of her government, including earlier rape cases,” he said, referring to incidents such as the rape of a minor in Nadia district. Banerjee reportedly questioned whether the girl could be in love and pregnant.

But Banerjee has always managed to stay one step ahead of the political opposition, he said.

The state's political opposition, including the BJP and the Left Front, appear to be instigating the protests, but they lack a political leader who can match Mamata, he said.

“Just taking to the streets will not stop Mamata Banerjee. There should be a political leader who can take the matter to the end, but there is no one to take responsibility,” Chattopadhyay said.

To divert the opposition, he pointed out that Banerjee had organised a protest against the rape and murder of the Calcutta doctor, which could indirectly give the masses the impression that her government was not responsible and that she had shown compassion for the people.

But whatever the measures, the incident is sure to reflect badly on Banerjee, analysts said.

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“I hope he gets the harshest punishment”: Father of murdered Indian doctor demands justice

“I hope he gets the harshest punishment”: Father of murdered Indian doctor demands justice

Blow for India's opposition

“If she doesn't handle it carefully, it could go wrong. What we're seeing is public anger, which has an unknown dynamic at this stage,” he said. “That could have repercussions.”

Others said the incident may not have any lasting impact, especially since the national elections were already over and the state elections were not for two years.

“There is no law and order crisis in the entire state and it has a majority in Parliament. There is hardly anything that justifies imposing presidential rule,” said Nilanjan Mukhopadhay, an independent political commentator, adding that such a move could plunge the state into turmoil.

But the ongoing unrest shows that Banerjee needs to develop into a wise administrator, he added.