'Would I Lie in Her Name?': Abhaya's Mother on Mamata's 'No Money Offered' Claim

Kolkata: Abhaya's mother has accused West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee of lying about no money being offered to them following the gruesome rape and murder in Kolkata's RG Kar. This statement by the victim's mother comes after the CM, on Monday, asserted that no money has been offered to the parents of Abhaya, the trainee doctor of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, who was raped and murdered in the seminar room of the hospital.

‘CM is Lying… Why Would I Lie in Her Name?’: Abhaya's Mother

While CM Mamata has refuted the victim's parents' claim that they were offered money by the government, Abhaya's mother has stood by her claim that she was offered money following the rape and murder of her daughter and has accused the West Bengal CM of lying. She said, "The chief minister (Banerjee) is lying. My daughter is not going to return. Would I lie in her name? She (the CM) told us that we would receive money and suggested that we create something in in our daughter's memory. I responded that I would collect the money once my daughter gets justice."

‘CM Trying to Strangle Movement Just Like How My Daughter was Strangled’

Abhaya's mother has also said that it seems that the CM is trying to curb the nation's voices and kill the movement seeking justice for Abhaya. She said, "The chief minister is trying to strangle the movement just like how my daughter was strangled, the evidence was destroyed...We will be on the road, we will be in the movement until we get justice."

‘Durga Puja Will Never Be Celebrated in My House Again’

With the festive season, particularly Durga Puja approaching, Abhaya's mother says how her daughter used to celebrate the festival each year but now, they will never celebrate it. She said, “If the people of the whole country want to move to the festival, then they can move. But they consider my daughter as their family member. If they can return to the festival I have nothing to say. Durga Puja was also held in my house, my daughter used to do it herself. But Durga Puja will never be celebrated in my house again. The light in my room is off. How do I tell people to return to the festival?”

Mamata Dismisses Claims of Money Being Offered to Victim's Parents

Mamata had dismissed the claims that the state government offered money to the parents of the victim. Referring to her meeting with the victim’s family members a couple of days after the tragedy, the Chief Minister said that some people are falsely claiming that she spoke about money with them then. "I never said anything of that sort. Please show me the proof where I spoke about money. These are all false allegations, conspiracy and untrue propaganda," she told media persons after an administrative meeting with the top police officials and bureaucrats in the state amid the continuing protests over the rape and murder issue.

According to Banerjee, before she went to meet the victim’s parents, some of the doctors' associations raised demands for compensation. "I told the victim’s parents that money can never be an alternative to death. I told them that I was equally shocked like them. Thereafter, I told them that the state government will be beside them if they want to do any good work in memory of their deceased daughter," she said.