In Kolkata, India, protests broke out demanding the resignation of a top state minister after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor. Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protesters, who broke through barricades and were met with a baton charge. The incident has sparked nationwide outrage, reminiscent of the 2012 gang rape in Delhi, despite tougher laws being in place. A police volunteer has been arrested for the crime and the federal police have taken over the investigation.
Junior doctors across the country have refused to see non-emergency patients in protest, demanding justice for the victim and greater safety for women at hospitals. India’s Supreme Court has intervened by creating a hospital safety task force and urging doctors to return to work, but some remained defiant, particularly in West Bengal.
The protests in Kolkata, led by university students, also called for the resignation of West Bengal’s Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee. The governing Trinamool Congress Party blamed the police crackdown on “lawlessness” created by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and affiliated groups, who have extended support to the protesters. The state government has been accused of trying to suppress the rape and murder incident, a charge it has denied.
Over 5,000 police officers were deployed in Kolkata and neighboring Howrah to contain the protests. The situation remains tense as protesters continue to demand accountability and justice for the victim.
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