Two Bengal ministers trained their guns on the CBI, the Opposition, theatre personalities and the media on Thursday, a day after the second Reclaim the Night protest over the RG Kar rape-murder horror showed a leaderless churn for justice gaining ground across the state.

The state women and child welfare minister, Sashi Panja, told the media at the Trinamul Bhawan that the media event was not to defend the state government or the ruling party.

“We have not come here to talk about our rape, your rape,” Panja said, with education minister Bratya Basu by her side.

“This press conference is not to defend our stand. We are anguished. We want the bill [that the Bengal Assembly passed two days ago] to be made into a law. We are not here for any debate.

“We did not create the NCRB [National Crime Record Bureau] data which says Calcutta is the safest city for three years in a row. We have never bragged about it. Every case of rape and molestation needs to be addressed at the earliest,” she added.

The two ministers questioned why the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had taken a policy of “radio silence” since taking over the investigation the rape and murder on the orders of Calcutta high court.

The court had also ordered the CBI to take over the graft charges against Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College whom the agency has now arrested along with three others in a corruption case.

The CBI has not made any arrests yet in the rape-murder case. The special investigation team set up by the Kolkata Police had arrested a civic volunteer in the case, who is now in CBI custody. A polygraph test has been conducted on him, where he reportedly retracted the confession he had reportedly given to the police.

“The CBI is doing a prolonged investigation and not sharing any information. When the Kolkata Police were investigating, daily press conferences were held. Now there is no information, which has created a vacuum and that vacuum has left room for truth, lies and half-truths,” Panja said.

She was referring to a clip that went viral since Wednesday night in which a relative of the victim purportedly said a Calcutta police officer had offered the family money even before their daughter was cremated.

The Trinamul leaders – Panja and her colleague Bratya Basu – shared a video of the parents of the victim denying that they were offered any money.

“We feel deep anguish, extremely concerned, disturbed and are with the grieving parents. They have lost their only child in this manner. Let us not question what they have said in the past or are saying now. Let us not do a post-mortem of their statements. The CBI should probe everything and find out at the earliest who the perpetrators were,” Panja said.

“The CBI will have to tell the Supreme Court why they have not been able to conclude the investigation yet. We are also waiting to hear what they have to say.”

Basu blamed the Opposition.

“The opposition parties are trying to create pressure on the family when their mental condition is extremely fragile. We can share their grief but we cannot compensate them in any manner,” he said.

The two Trinamul ministers condemned the heckling of actor Rituparna Sengupta when she had gone to join a protest in Shyambazar on Wednesday night.

The ministers did not speak about the attack on protesters in North 24 Parganas’ Barasat and Cooch Behar’s Mathabhanga, where street art demanding justice was destroyed.

The ministers also asked the CBI to corroborate the allegation of “evidence tampering” being made against the Kolkata Police.

“You can be CBI’s source or you may have sources in the CBI, but it is the probe agency that has to come forward and confirm yes, evidence has been tampered with,” Basu said in reply to a question on allegations of evidence tampering.

“Why aren’t they saying so? Ask these questions to the CBI. It is not possible for us to know CBI’s Mann ki Baat. I also want to know what evidence has been tampered with. It is a very serious allegation. I want to know why the CBI has not released any details of it yet,” the minister said.

Panja suggested anybody who had proof about evidence tampering should send it to the central agency to probe and substantiate the claims.

Both the ministers said the Opposition BJP and CPM were trying to malign the Bengal government in the absence of the CBI’s pinpointing the culprits in the rape and murder of the doctor at RG Kar.

“The case is being probed by the CBI. Has the BJP held a march to the CGO complex where the office is located? Have they even written a letter questioning the status of the probe? Submitted a memorandum? No. They are only interested in reaping political dividends. They have no interest in getting justice for the victim,” Panja said.

“The BJP’s IT cell is creating these fake videos and a section of the media is helping spread these,” she added.

Basu was critical of a Trinamul flag being burnt at Shyambazar where the CPM’s students and youth wings have been organising protest meets.

“It is very unfortunate that our party flag was burnt. Our workers will protest against it. Burning a party flag does not prove anything,” Basu said.

Neither of the ministers said a word against any of their party colleagues who had threatened protesters.

Asked about the theatre personalities who had returned awards in protest against the rape and murder, Basu repeatedly questioned if they would do the same with awards conferred by the Centre.

“The theatre personalities who have returned their awards conferred by the state government, will they do the same when such an incident happens at the national level and return the awards given by the Centre?” asked Basu.

Theatre personalities Chandan Sen, Biplab Bandyopadhyay, actor Sudipta Chakraborty returned their awards earlier this week. On Thursday, actor Sanjeeta Mukherjee, who had received the best supporting actor award, announced her decision to return it. Visual artist Sanatan Dinda has also stepped down from the state’s Charukala Parishad.

“The government has the right to confer awards. The artists have the right to return. We would expect them to do the same when a similar incident happens in any other state,” Basu iterated.