Assembly Upheaval Over Condolence Demand for Doctor Victim

BJP MLAs in the West Bengal assembly held a moment of condolence for a doctor allegedly raped and murdered after the Speaker rejected their demand to include her in the official list of obituary references. A heated debate ensued, with TMC accusing the BJP of politicizing the tragic incident.

In the West Bengal assembly on Monday, BJP MLAs held a condolence ceremony for a doctor allegedly raped and murdered at a state-run hospital. This followed the Speaker's refusal to include her name in the official obituary references list.

The session, meant to pass a bill for capital punishment for rape convicts, saw heated exchanges as TMC MLAs accused BJP of politicizing the tragic incident. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari pledged to voice BJP's stance on capital punishment but criticized the assembly for not unifying over the heinous crime.

Despite the prohibition on naming rape victims by a Supreme Court order, Adhikari argued that condolence notes without names are standard practice. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chatterjee maintained it wasn't possible to pay condolences to an unnamed individual, leading to further discord. The session adjourned without resolution.

(With inputs from agencies.)