CPM politburo leader Brinda Karat on Thursday called on the parents of the deceased junior doctor of the RG Kar hospital, who was raped and murdered on August 9, to express her solidarity in their fight for justice for their daughter.

From the other end of the political spectrum, Union home minister Amit Shah also asked state BJP leaders to arrange for a meeting with the couple during his daylong visit to Calcutta on Sunday.

Karat, after meeting the grieving parents of the doctor, spoke to the media.

“The entire state and nation have united in seeking justice for the brilliant and courageous doctor, yet the TMC government and its leaders continue to shield the corrupt nexus behind this horrific crime. The fight for justice... will persist until the family receives the justice they deserve,” she said.

Karat added that the people of Bengal and the entire country were standing with the bereaved family to get justice for the young doctor.

On Shah’s meeting with the parents, there has been no official confirmation so far.

However, sources in the BJP indicated that senior party leaders had contacted the parents of the deceased doctor and were in the process of finalising the time and place for the meeting.

“Initially, it was decided that Shah would visit the victim’s family, but given the home minister’s hectic schedule, it has been decided that the parents of the victim will come at a convenient time to meet him,” a senior BJP leader said.

The plan to meet the victim’s parents follows an email from them to Shah on Tuesday in which they expressed their “immense mental pressure and helplessness”.

They also requested an appointment with Shah, seeking his support.

Shah is scheduled to arrive in Calcutta on Sunday morning and will hold a meeting of the extended state committee at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, where MPs, MLAs, state and district party leaders will be invited. Then, he will attend a Border Security Force programme in Kalyani, followed by a government event of the cooperative society in Arambagh, Hooghly.

Shah is expected to leave Calcutta on the same day.

“The role of the Trinamool government regarding the RG Kar incident is nothing new to the people and the BJP has been fighting so that the real perpetrators of the crime get punishment. In these circumstances, if a national leader like Amit Shah-ji meets the victim’s family and supports their demand for justice, it will strengthen our movement further. So, we are trying to arrange a meeting between Amit Shah-ji and the doctor's parents,” a senior BJP leader said.

“We have not received the full itinerary of Amit Shah-ji from the Union home ministry. Once we get it, it will be easier for us to fix the venue and the time of the meeting (with the doctor’s parents),” the BJP leader added.

A day earlier, Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson, Samik Bhattacharya, had indicated that Shah would take the final decision regarding the meeting with the bereaved parents of the RG Kar doctor and had clearly stated that the matter was unrelated to the party.

He had also added that if Shah wished to meet the doctor’s parents, the ministry would handle the arrangements.