The politics of West Bengal has been shaken with the recent act of rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. The political leader of West Bengal, the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has become the focal point of the protest where people are seeking justice from the state government.

In a dramatic turn of events, Banerjee said she was ready to resign for the sake of the people after a delegation of junior doctors who were on strike insisted on not meeting the state government. The Chief Minister who had to wait for more than two hours to address the protesters retorted that the protesters cared more about her ‘chair’ than the justice for the victim.

This has been made worse by the recent involvement of West Bengal Governor C. V Ananda Bose who recently declared a “social boycott” of the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee. Bose put out a stern warning saying that he will not stand on the same stage as Banerjee, whom he called the ‘Lady Macbeth of Bengal’.

The Governor did not spare the state government from criticism, and sought to challenge the involvement of Kolkata’s police commissioner. This growing friction between the state executive and the Governor’s office is an added factor to this already sensitive issue. The collapse of communication between these essential personalities increases the question of the administration of justice in West Bengal.

The demonstrations which have been going for several days have received support from many medical workers and students in the state. The demonstrators are asking for better security measures in the hospitals and the immediate apprehension of the culprits. This is seen by the failure of the junior doctors’ delegation to sit down and negotiate with the state government.

It has also raised issues on the safety of women and the efficiency of police in the state among other things. The opposition has jumped into the issue, blaming the Trinamool Congress led government for not being able to enforce law and order situation. The BJP, for instance, has been very critical, demanding President Rule in the state or otherwise.

As the controversy is on, it raises concern on the effect it will have on the forth coming elections. West Bengal has always been a politically sensitive state and this incident only adds to the sensitivity of the state. Political scientists opine that the way this crisis has been managed may have a fallout for Banerjee and the party in terms of the forthcoming elections.

A strong reaction was received from the medical community of India about the incident which proves that safety and security are still challenges for the healthcare workers in the country. This calamity has highlighted issues of safety and employment rights of health care workers especially those serving in the public hospitals.

As the state struggles to deal with this problem, there are voices coming from different directions to conduct an analysis of the existing measures of hospital security and to tighten them to protect medical professionals and patients. A few voices have been raised to call for changes in the health care system, claiming that this event is a manifestation of the underlying problems that require changes.

I think that the following days will be the most defining in this political crisis. People are waiting for the response from Chief Minister Banerjee and her government to how they will swim through these troubled waters. This catastrophe and the protests which followed it could possibly define the political discourse in West Bengal for several months with implications going beyond the state.