Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she had never attempted to shield anyone, nor did her government tamper with evidence related to the RG Kar rape and murder, responding to unsubstantiated allegations being repeatedly levelled by the Opposition.

“Why would I tamper with evidence? Who do I have to protect? No one is our friend, and none is our foe.... You’ve humiliated me a lot, so please stop. Know the truth,” she said during an administrative meeting at Nabanna that followed the Supreme Court hearing.

A narrative spun around alleged tampering of evidence related to the August 9 rape and murder of the junior doctor gained traction, primarily on social media, after the hospital authorities ordered renovation and construction work on the same floor of the hospital where the body was found within three days of the crime.

The BJP and the CPM heavily criticised the ruling dispensation, especially Mamata who also holds the health portfolio, accusing it of destroying evidence to protect individuals close to the Trinamool Congress and the chief minister.

During her hour-long administrative meeting, Mamata explained why the construction and renovation work at RG Kar had been ordered.

“There were no other intentions. There was no restroom, so the girl (victim) had to stay in the seminar hall. The decision to construct a restroom there (at RG Kar) was taken. However, the work was halted amid complaints that there were attempts to tamper with evidence,” she said.

Politicians, including some within Trinamool, see the work near the crime scene as one of the several missteps of the state government.

“The narrative was further fuelled when Sandip Ghosh was made the principal of National Medical College and Hospital on the very day he resigned from RG Kar,” a Trinamool leader said.

Members of Left organisations during a march to the Kolkata Police headquarters on Monday demanding justice for the murdered junior doctor.   Picture by Sanat Kumar Sinha

Mamata, however, did not address Ghosh’s resignation and subsequent reinstatement to another medical college in the city, which allowed the Opposition to continue questioning her government’s actions.

“Then why was Sandip Ghosh reinstated? It is now clear to the people of the state why and how the chief minister and her government attempted to tamper with evidence and whom they were trying to protect,” BJP Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya said on Monday.

Preempting that the Opposition parties, especially the BJP, would mount an attack on her, Mamata — during the meeting — went after the Narendra Modi government, accusing it of plotting to take over the state police’s jurisdiction by deploying a large number of central forces at RG Kar.

She claimed that despite her government arranging accommodation and other logistical support for the CISF jawans deployed at RG Kar on the Supreme Court’s orders, the Centre had falsely accused her administration of not helping the paramilitary force.

“They are increasing the deployment of the CISF. It is a conspiracy by the Union government. They want to take away the entire jurisdiction from the state police,” Mamata said.

“The central government and a few Left parties are conspiring against the state government,” the chief minister added, urging the CBI to ensure justice through a speedy trial in a fast-track court.

Mamata alleged that the erstwhile Left regime had turned Swasthya Bhavan — the state health department headquarters —into a ghughur basha (a den of corruption) and that her government had not been able to fully rid it of the malaise.

“The Leftists are still there (in the health department). We did not remove them because our slogan was to change the system, not to take revenge. Don’t mistake this for weakness,” Mamata said.

“We know how doctors were threatened from Alimuddin Street (the Bengal CPM headquarters). They used to send lists of candidates for government jobs from Alimuddin Street. Now those same people are making big statements,” she added.

CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty shot back: “The chief minister is known to lie. If there was any ghughur basha, who stopped her from cleaning it up?”