RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday voiced support for the protesting medical fraternity in the wake of the RG Kar tragedy, asserting that the entire country stands with them.

Bhagwat also implied that the Mamata Banerjee government was shielding criminals, two days after the BJP’s national president J.P. Nadda vowed to back the medical fraternity.

Bhagwat, speaking at the Nagpur RSS headquarters, said: “The incident at RG Kar is a disgrace to all of us.”

“Such incidents should not be allowed to happen. If they do occur, everyone must come together to address them. However, there was an attempt to shield the culprits,” he added. “What is the tradition of our country? What is our country like? When Draupadi was disrobed, the Mahabharat happened, and the abduction of Sita led to the Ramayan. The culture of protection for wrongdoers, along with the alliance between crime and politics, led to these consequences,” he said.

Although Bhagwat earlier emphasised that it was the state government’s responsibility to punish the culprits, and had assured all possible support to it, the RSS chief on Saturday through this political statement directly suggested that the Trinamool Congress-led government here played a role in shielding the perpetrator(s) of the grisly crime.

Political scientists said Bhagwat’s statement of solidarity assumes significance at a time when the junior doctors, some of whom are on a hunger strike demanding justice and safety in state-run healthcare facilities, gained nationwide traction.

“The junior doctors’ protest is no longer confined to state-run medical facilities. It has gained significant momentum as doctors from both private and government-run healthcare institutions have shown solidarity with the junior medics and threatened to stop work if their demands aren’t met,” said a city-based political scientist.

“In this scenario, the protest could have nationwide consequences, potentially leading to a collapse of healthcare services across the country. If the state government fails to resolve the issues, the Centre might have to step in. The RSS chief’s statement is a strong signal in that direction,” he added.

The BJP’s central leadership, which was conspicuously silent on RG Kar in recent weeks, has now started openly declaring support for the protesting doctors. BJP national president Nadda, during his Calcutta visit on Saptami, had also said that the junior doctors are fighting for their basic need of security, and had assured them that the Union government was prepared to provide all necessary support.

In Calcutta on Thursday, Union health minister Nadda said that RG Kar had become a stark example of lawlessness, where junior doctors were fighting for their safety, which he deemed justified. He stressed irony that those responsible for safeguarding the public’s health were facing insecurity, calling the situation unimaginable. Nadda also expressed readiness to offer any help needed.

The protests prompted the Federation of All India Medical Associations to issue a warning of a nationwide shutdown of medical services if any harm befell protesting doctors. Doctor demands include justice for their slain colleague, the immediate removal of state health secretary N.S. Nigam, the creation of a centralised hospital referral system, a bed vacancy monitoring system, increased police protection in hospitals, and the swift filling of vacant healthcare positions.