BJP promises legal help to netizens getting Bengal Police notices for posts on doctor case

Kolkata, Aug 19 (IANS) The West Bengal unit of BJP has promised legal aid to those netizens being summoned by Kolkata Police for criticizing the role of the police in the doctor rape-murder case.

The netizens have been criticising the police over its handling of the ghastly rape-murder case that took place in the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital on August 9 and also the vandalism of the emergency department of the same hospital shortly after the midnight of August 14.

An announcement was made by the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, through a social media post on Sunday night, where he said that if anyone is being harassed for just putting an opinion, he is ready to provide legal assistance to the netizen concerned provided the social media post has not crossed the limits of decency.

“I believe Free Speech is the backbone of a healthy Democracy. So if anyone is being harassed for just posting their opinion and if the post is not outright vulgar, I am ready to provide Legal Assistance free of cost. Kindly forward the Notice sent by the Police along with your Name & Contact details to my email id:- adhikarisuvenduwb1@gmail.com My legal team will contact you and render legal services,” he said.

The announcement has become significant since the last few days the cops have been summoning netizens objecting to the contents of their social media posts on this issue.

Among those summoned include two reputed doctors of the city and veteran Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy.

According to Adhikari, most social media users are receiving notices under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for making social media posts that were critical of the role of the state administration and police in the case of the ghastly rape and murder of the female doctor and the subsequent developments.