RG Kar movement’s face, Aniket Mahata, quits protest forum
Times of India | 2 January 2026
Kolkata: Aniket Mahata, one of the most prominent faces of the protests after the RG Kar rape-murder, on Thursday decided to step away from the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front (WBJDF), the forum that had led the agitation.
Mahata, an anaesthesiologist who served as officiating president of the WBJDF Board of Trustees, shared his resignation letter on Facebook. The letter suggests differences with other trust members over the formation of an executive committee as the tipping point.
According to sources, discussions on electing a WBJDF executive committee had been underway for the past couple of weeks. Mahata apparently sought a clear legal definition of the committee, its role, and its relationship with the board of trustees before any election. Other trust members, however, did not agree and went ahead with the voting on Thursday.
Mahata stepped down hours before the voting began, calling the constitution of the committee undemocratic without first defining its relationship with the board of trustees, and contrary to legal advice. He also said the process went against the spirit of the movement that gave birth to the WBJDF in the fight for justice for the RG Kar rape-murder victim.
"At the beginning of the new year, I am deeply saddened to state that despite my repeated objections, an undemocratic and illegal WBJDF election took place. I have no option but to make my position public in protest. I have always remained accountable to the people in the movement for Abhaya's rightful justice, and will continue to do so," Mahata wrote on social media on Friday, while sharing his resignation letter dated Dec 31.
Sources said the executive committee comprised 37 members, and that differences between members of the board of trustees and the executive committee emerged over the division of responsibilities and roles.
In his resignation letter, Mahata mentioned the occasional differences he had with other key members of the front on issues involving how the movement was to be taken forward.
"Yet, I played my role to the best of my ability while maintaining unity," he wrote.
"The front was funded by the common people. What they decide to do is up to the front. We all fought together shoulder to shoulder. I hold no grudge against anyone," he wrote.
A postgraduate from RG Kar Medical College, Mahata refused to join his place of posting at Raiganj Medical College, as he was offered posting in RG Kar during the counselling. The other 2 WBJDF key members, Debasis Halder and Asfakulla Naiya, joined their places of posting despite facing the same issue of posting mismatch.
"It is extremely unfortunate that circumstances forced Aniket to resign. Perhaps, for the sake of the movement, he had to step down. I hope in the future, even greater movements will be built under Aniket's leadership," said physician Sajal Biswas of Service Doctors Forum.