There is generally a feeling of frenzy and celebration in election processions. In the dance of democracy, this is one of those rare moments when voters meet their candidates directly, while party workers mobilize support with loud slogans. After Abhaya’s mother, RG tax victim’s mother who is contesting elections BJP However, getting a ticket from Panihati on the outskirts of Kolkata proved to be a very different experience. The air was heavy and the slogans were loud Abhayar Rakto, hobe naaki bartho (Abhaya’s blood will not go in vain) and If a girl does not get tired, will she be born as a girl? (If girls themselves are not safe then what is the use of any scheme for girls?) It was a sobering reminder of what is at stake in this election.As TOI tracked Abhaya’s mother during the campaign, one could sense the sadness. The elderly women started crying bitterly. The girls tried to console the candidate. Some spoke on camera, many refused, but most insisted that the RG Kar incident, in which a doctor intern was brutally raped in the seminar hall of a Kolkata government hospital on August 9, 2024, would influence their electoral choice.
Later, in a detailed interview with TOI, Abhaya’s mother explained why she entered politics. Politics was never the plan, he said. But once his daughter’s death became part of the political logic of Bengal, he felt he had more right to occupy that space than anyone else.This campaign has not only brought support, but also memories. At every stop, he is reminded of the daughter he lost, a bright young woman whose future was ruined. Grief is no longer personal.His first goal, he said, is justice for Abhay. According to him, politics has become necessary because he no longer trusts the system to deliver justice on its own. And while naming that failure he did not speak vaguely. His attack went on the political class, the health minister and hospital officials, alleging that they acted too hastily after the crime. His most serious allegation was that people in responsible positions were ready to consider his daughter dead even before she was formally declared dead. This goes beyond negligence for the BJP candidate. This points to a system that is more interested in managing the consequences than responding to the family. He directly linked it to corruption in the health department, saying it had stolen his daughter’s future. Now, she says, the goal has been narrowed down to two things: justice for Abhaya and accountability for all those she believes failed her.Complete coverage of assembly elections 2026Full transcript of the interview, lightly editedTOI: What are people telling you during the campaign?Abhaya’s mother: I want to ask you, what reaction did you see?TOI: Many people were emotional. What did he say?Abhaya’s mother: They are saying, ‘We are all with you.’TOI: When did you decide to enter politics? When did you feel that this was necessary for justice?Abhaya’s mother: I never wanted to enter politics. It is paining. A candidate was almost selected from this seat, but then I felt that since my daughter has been made a part of politics, I have the biggest right to step into it, because I am the one who is still living that pain. My family has lost a member. This did not happen to anyone else.I would like to thank everyone who treated my girl like a member of their family. I am grateful to those who protested. My objection is only to those who used my daughter politically.Recently, a doctor couple, who were our neighbors, died by drowning in Mandarmani. I had gone to express my condolences. It was difficult for me to stand there for long. But the man known as the guardian of Panihati was not there. He, Nirmal Ghosh, is the person who did not meet me on the night of August 9, 2024, but held a two-hour meeting with the principal of RG Kar to ensure that the body could be disposed of quickly through cremation.TOI: There are rival claims on who tried to stop the hearse. What is your opinion on this?Abhaya’s mother: Don’t say that they stopped the hearse. He tried. Nobody could manage to do it. We, as parents, failed. Even they could not do this.TOI: You seem to be facing more attacks than others in similar situations, like Tamannaah’s mother. why do you think that is?Abhaya’s mother: I don’t know. Those who resort to slander are doing their work. I refuse to associate with them. The more they try to defame me, the more I know that I am on the right path.TOI: If you win, how will you as a representative balance justice for Abhay with public expectations?Abhaya’s mother: It won’t be an issue. I am from a very simple family. I was also called Darji Kakima. We run a school dress manufacturing business. When my daughter was little, I handled almost the entire process myself.Even while working as a tailor, I raised a daughter who stood up for the common people against the mafia. He had the courage to turn everything upside down and that is why he was killed at his workplace. That struggle was very difficult.TOI: So whatever the election outcome, the legal battle will continue?Abhaya’s mother: Of course. Legal fight is my first priority.TOI: His school remembered him as bright, honest and unusually disciplined. Does hearing that bring everything back?Abhaya’s mother: Yes, she was a very bright child. Even when she played as a child, she would recite the Bengali and English poems she had learned. When she used to go to the park with my mother-in-law, everyone would ask her to recite it.TOI: Do those memories keep coming back during the campaign?Abhaya’s mother: Definitely. I always like to believe that he is still with me. This gives me some peace. Otherwise I become very restless.TOI: And when will you return home?Abhaya’s mother: This happens all the time. I never thought that I would contest elections. My daughter wanted to do MD and then become DM. She was also doing some online courses. Should we have been in this position? We were not.My daughter had to face problems due to the corruption of the Health Minister. I just wish I hadn’t enrolled him in the RG car. Or in 2021, when the case was registered against Sandeep Ghosh, if the Chief Minister had taken prompt action, perhaps my daughter would have been safe.TOI: The Kanyashree slogan has become the centerpiece of your campaign. What does it mean to you?Abhaya’s mother: After my daughter’s incident, perhaps 200 such incidents have happened. But perhaps no one was treated like my daughter, where they tried to dispose of the body like a dog or a cat.The most shocking thing is that the HOD and senior officials like Sandeep Ghosh told the court that when they heard that someone had died, they asked to send the body to the mortuary. But he was not declared dead at that time. Even before this they had tried to send him to the mortuary. We have proof of this.I will definitely get justice. Education, health and the right to live well are democratic rights. They have been taken away from us. The education system has collapsed. The appearance of health is very stylish, but inside there is a lot missing. RG tax has not changed. It is still the same.We have recently found two more examples. Died due to an elevator accident, and then a heart patient died because doctors forced him to walk. No patient should be treated like this.TOI: You have met Nirbhaya’s mother. Did that conversation shape your decision?Abhaya’s mother: In Nirbhaya’s case, the criminals were arrested only then. But in this case we have still not arrested all of them. I know who murdered Abhaya, but we have not caught them.That’s why I needed a political platform to get justice for my daughter. This government is extremely corrupt. Many departments have been compromised, and evidence has been destroyed. My girl had bite marks on her face, but some masking agent was used, so those marks were not visible. I need strength in this fight. That’s why I came into politics.TOI: Critics say such crimes happen in BJP ruled states too. Then why join this party?Abhaya’s mother: If you look at the Hathras incident, a BJP worker was involved in it and he is currently in jail, not outside.TOI: So your point is simple: Any person guilty of a heinous crime should be punished immediately?Abhaya’s mother: Definitely. Here, the house of one of my workers was vandalized yesterday by the associates of a person who calls himself the guardian of Panihati. I don’t have any message for his son, who is contesting the elections. But if my workers are attacked, I will not remain silent. I will raise my voice.TOI: Even in a competition like this, do you think there is more political muscle than healthy rivalry?Abhaya’s mother: There is so much corruption that the governance system has completely broken down. A few days ago, job seekers were sitting on the road and the police beat me. When I went for Nabanna campaign I was attacked. The police is behaving in a completely biased manner.TOI: So this is a big fight for you?Abhaya’s mother: The main fight is to ensure that women get safety, security and respect. This is not just my fight but that of all women.TOI: What is your message to women across the country?Abhaya’s mother: I am grateful to people from different parts of the world, especially women, who have raised their voices. My daughter’s incident had a global impact. During the first Reclaim the Night procession, I paid tribute to my daughter and said: I knew you for 30 years, but I didn’t know your strength.So many people die in so many places, but this event became a huge unifier. People from different castes, sects and religions took part in the protest. Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting Club stood together. And still justice was not given. That’s why I am wandering from door to door for justice. This is not politics. This is open corruption.When TOI finally reached her home, a plaque there summed up, in some clear words, the struggle her parents are still going through. It said, Abhayar e mati te, dhorshokder thai nai (There is no place for rapists in the land of Abhay). It is clear from the campaign trail that BJP candidates are asking voters to see their candidature not as a reprieve from grief, but as the next phase of a fight they believe is still incomplete.
