Protests Erupt in Kolkata Over Doctor’s Tragic Death Amid BJP’s 12-Hour Bandh

KOLKATA:
The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum staged a protest rally in Kolkata on Wednesday, demanding justice for a doctor who was brutally raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. This rally took place alongside the BJP’s 12-hour ‘Bangla Bandh,’ aimed at underlining the need for enhanced safety measures and timely justice within the medical community.

Prior to the rally, Dr. Mazumder of RG Kar Medical College stated, ‘Earlier, our protest was only for doctors, but today we have called on everyone to join us. Yesterday, none of our doctors were present.’ Concurrently, BJP supporters protested in Asansol, blocking railway tracks to voice their grievances.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar joined the protests, partaking in a demonstration in Kolkata’s Baguiati. Police and security personnel were on-site, donning helmets to manage the crowds. The BJP leader, who is also the state party president, announced a seven-day ‘dharna’ starting August 29, approved by the Kolkata High Court. He criticized the police action and lack of democracy in the state, declaring that police can detain BJP leaders but fail to arrest the accused.

On August 27, tensions flared in Kolkata as security forces deployed tear gas, water cannons, and batons to disperse protesters near Howrah Bridge. These demonstrators were marching towards the West Bengal State Secretariat, Nabanna, in response to the RG Kar Medical College incident. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress party members protested against the BJP’s ‘Bangla Bandh,’ accusing the party of fostering anarchy in the state.