Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that she hadn’t threatened the protesting doctors or criticised their pro-justice movements in the wake of the junior physician’s rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here.

The Bengal chief minister was forced to issue the clarification following
relentless ridicule and reproval from the Opposition of her speech on Mayo Road on Wednesday.

Mamata posted a statement on X on Thursday, attributing the confusion to a “malicious disinformation campaign” by sections of the media and said she just wanted to attack the BJP.

But the Opposition remained unsparing.

The Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused her of a somersault.

“Why is she suddenly a disciple of Ramakrishna? A hiss or a bite — disallowed. The venomous fangs of this serpent have to be broken. Bengal will no longer tolerate this anti-social raj,” said Chowdhury, who led a protest march from the College Square to Shyambazar, dressed in black as a mark of mourning.

On Wednesday, Mamata had said: “If I lose my patience, you have no idea what I can do. They have abused and insulted me a lot. I realise that I haven’t sought revenge. We sloganeered that we want change, not revenge…. Now I am saying do what needs to
be done.”

“I don’t want violence, but you could phnosh (hiss, like a snake) for unmasking the conspirators,” the chief minister had added in her address at the Trinamul Congress student wing’s foundation day event on Mayo Road. This was interpreted by the Opposition as a direct provocation against non-Trinamul forces.

In her Thursday statement, Mamata wrote: “I also clarify that the phrase (“phonsh kara”) that I had used in my speech yesterday is a quote from Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa Deva.”

“The legendary saint had said that occasionally there is need to raise one’s voice. When there are crimes and criminal offences, voice of protest has to be raised. My speech on that point was a direct allusion to the great Ramakrishnite saying,” she added.

Chowdhury rubbished the claim.

“She had tried to intimidate the protesters on Wednesday. She realised later that the people are no longer scared of her. That is why she is attempting a somersault. It’s all on video…. Give her Mithyashree (best liar award),” he said. “She is afraid. Very, very afraid.”

The BJP, which had unleashed every chief minister and deputy chief minister from its stable to attack Mamata since Wednesday, was unwilling to buy her argument.

Citing the Trinamool chief’s post, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya wrote on X: “Mamata Banerjee is digging herself deeper in the hole with this clarification. Shame on her for threatening medical students, demanding justice for their colleague, a young lady doctor, who was brutally raped and murdered in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.”

“Unless Mamata Banerjee steps down and subjects herself to a polygraph test, the truth of the criminal syndicate behind the gruesome rape and murder won’t be exposed. As health minister of Bengal, she has much to answer,” he added.

In the statement, Mamata clarified “most emphatically” that she did not utter a single word against the students — medical or otherwise — or their movements.

“I totally support their movement. Their movement is genuine. I never
threatened them, as some people are accusing me of doing. This allegation is completely false,” wrote the chief minister.

Sections of agitating doctors — besides the Bengal Opposition — had perceived in the speech a veiled threat.

“Junior doctors are marching, and I support their march. They give exemplary service to the people…. The Supreme Court has also appealed to them to resume work. The poor need medical treatment and have nowhere else to go… lives are being lost. I appeal to them to resume work,” she had said.

“The Supreme Court has said that the state government can take action, but I don’t want to. If I take legal action, their futures could be ruined… getting passports, visas become a problem if an FIR is filed…. Ours is a humane government,” Mamata had added.

Following this, the agitating doctors had rejected her appeal.

In her statement on X on Thursday, Mamata went on.

“I have spoken against BJP. I have spoken against them because, with the support of the government of India, they are threatening the democracy in our state and trying to create anarchy. With support from Centre, they are trying to create lawlessness and I have raised my voice against them,” she said.

On Wednesday, Mamata had said: “Some people are thinking this is Bangladesh…. Remember, if Bengal burns, then Assam, the Northeast, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Delhi will also burn.… We will rock the very chair they occupy.”

Bengal BJP president chief Sukanta Majumdar had written to Union home minister Amit Shah, urging action against Mamata for her Wednesday address.