"State governments must act," said Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata's nephew, regarding the rape case in Kolkata.

 In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Trinamool Congress's General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, expressed his concerns about the lack of meaningful discussion around finding a "lasting solution" to the horrific rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

"State governments must act," said Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata's nephew, regarding the rape case in Kolkata.

"Over the past 10 days, while the nation has been protesting against the #RGKarMedicalcollege incident and demanding justice, 900 rapes have occurred across different parts of India—during the very time when people were on the streets protesting against this horrible crime. Sadly, a lasting solution still remains largely undiscussed," Banerjee stated in his post on X.

Abhishek Banerjee, who is also a Lok Sabha MP and the second-in-command in the Trinamool Congress after his aunt, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, highlighted the alarming statistics of sexual violence in India. He pointed out that with an average of 90 reported rape cases per day—four every hour and one every 15 minutes—the need for decisive action is more urgent than ever. 

"We need strong laws that mandate trials and convictions within 50 days, followed by the severest punishments, not just empty promises," Banerjee asserted. He called for state governments to act swiftly and to urge the Union Government to enact a comprehensive anti-rape law that ensures rapid and stringent justice. "Anything less is merely symbolic and tragically ineffective. Wake up, India!" he concluded.

There have been reports of a rift between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek over the handling of the case, particularly regarding the transfer of the former principal of RG Kar Medical College, Dr. Sandip Ghosh, following protests over the alleged rape and murder. In his initial response to the incident, Abhishek Banerjee had advocated for an "encounter" against the accused. However, he was noticeably absent from Mamata's subsequent "protest" march, signaling his discontent with the handling of the case. Sources within the Trinamool Congress suggested to the Indian Express that Abhishek wanted to make his dissatisfaction clear over the quick reassignment of the dismissed RG Kar Hospital principal to another hospital and the police's failure to prevent a mob attack on doctors protesting the crime.

Some prominent leaders within the Trinamool Congress have also begun to question the party's response to the incident at RG Kar Hospital. Senior party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray raised concerns about the effectiveness of the investigation being conducted by Kolkata Police and demanded that Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal be interrogated regarding the case.

In the aftermath of the incident, two Durga Puja committees in North Kolkata have decided to return the grants provided by the West Bengal Chief Minister in protest against the gruesome crime. Members of the Shakti Sangh Club and Apanader Durga Puja Committee, both located in Uttarpara, have announced that they will return the Rs 85,000 state government grant, according to India Today.