New Delhi: In response to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor, thousands of protesters in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, have taken to the streets, blocking trains and buses and demanding immediate action. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, leading to significant disruptions including road blockages and forced shop closures on Wednesday.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the situation escalated when police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters, predominantly students, attempting to march towards the state secretariat. The violence prompted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), currently the opposition party in West Bengal, to declare a 12-hour statewide strike protesting against the perceived police brutality.
The unrest has seen a massive deployment of about 5,000 police personnel across the state to manage the protests and prevent further violence. The demonstrators, many of whom are BJP supporters and university students, are demanding the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. They criticize her administration’s handling of the security and investigation concerning the August 9 incident, where a 31-year-old doctor was raped and murdered at a government hospital in Kolkata.
This tragic event has drawn comparisons to the 2012 New Delhi gang-rape that led to nationwide protests and calls for stricter laws to combat sexual violence against women. A police volunteer has been arrested in connection with the recent crime, and the federal police have taken over the investigation to ensure a thorough and unbiased process.