Kolkata/IBNS: Actor-turned Trinamool Congress MLA Kanchan Mullick has stirred a controversy by questioning whether junior doctors, who are on a ceasework protesting against the RG Kar rape-murder case, would refuse to accept their salaries and bonuses triggering sharp responses from people from his own film fraternity.

Mullick, who won from Uttarpara in 2021, has also questioned with a subtle tone of mockery whether the artistes protesting against the crime would give up the awards conferred upon them by the state government.

The TMC MLA asks, "I just want to ask whether people who are on ceasework and opposing the ruling party are accepting their salaries and bonuses? Will people from my fraternity withdraw the awards conferred on them by the state government?"

In a sharp response, actress Sudipta Chakraborty wrote on Facebook, "I have snapped all my ties with you, Kanchan Mullick, who was once my friend and colleague. You have probably lost all your humanity, consciousness, intelligence and education. We will get in touch only if you revive all those lost traits"

Without mincing many words, actor Ritwick Chakraborty has mocked Mullick for his remarks in a Facebook post.

Director Joydeep Mukherjee too lashed out at Mullick.

Junior doctors across West Bengal are on an indefinite strike after a 31-year-old trainee doctor was brutally raped and murdered at Kolkata's state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Kolkata, its neighbouring districts have been witnessing relentless, unprecedented protests after the post-graduate medical student was raped and murdered at her workplace on the intervening night of August 8 and 9.

Though the police swiftly nabbed a civic volunteer- named Sanjoy Roy- with the rape and murder charges, junior doctorsand protesters suspect the crime was committed by more than one and an attempt to tamper with evidence and cover up the crime is at play right from the beginning.

The Mamata Banerjee government is now in a crisis as people's protests roil the state challenging the state administration, which was marred by political violence and rampant corruption cases for more than a decade now.

The administration's swift run for the last rites of the victim and demolition work near the crime scene have raised some uncomfortable questions for the state administration, which is helmed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who holds both the police and health portfolios.