In the state of West Bengal, where
the crime was committed, protestors are calling for the resignation of the
state's highest elected official.
Police have fired tear gas and water cannon and used batons to break up protests over the rape and murder of a
trainee doctor in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata.
Protesting university students led
the crowds in breaking through barricades set up by security forces to demand
the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the state’s top
elected official, for her handling of the case.
The 31-year-old trainee medic was raped and killed on August
9 while working at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in
Kolkata. Her murder and rape shocked the nation and exposed the widespread
prevalence of sexual assault in India.
A portion of the demonstrators calling for Banerjee's resignation were members
of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the chief minister's Hindu nationalist
party and the state's major rival to the Trinamool Congress.
In Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, the police had
declared the BJP's protest to be unlawful and had blocked highways in its wake.
According to local media, some businesses and institutions granted employees
the day off in preparation for the demonstrations obstructing traffic.
According to authorities, four student activists were detained before to the
demonstration on charges of attempting to plan widespread violence.
The AFP news agency was informed by
college student Namita Ghosh that the protestors were acting
"peacefully" prior to the police pursuing them with batons.
Approximately five thousand police
personnel were stationed in Howrah, a nearby city, and Kolkata, according to a
senior official.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh attributed the police raid to "lawlessness" instigated by BJP employees.
The BJP backs the students who are demonstrating. The state government has refuted the accusation made by prominent state leader Suvendu Adhikari, who claims that Banerjee's administration is attempting to cover up the young doctor's murder.
The doctor's family claims there were more guys
participating in the alleged gang rape, despite the fact only one police
volunteer has been detained for the crime. Sexual assault was verified by an
autopsy.
Demanding justice and a prompt inquiry, protests have erupted in Kolkata and
other places around the nation. These have paralleled previous nationwide
rallies that followed the 2012 gang rape of a 23-year-old student in New Delhi
on a moving bus.
Despite the fact that medical
personnel have subsequently returned to work, doctors in various locations went
on strike in protest of the crime that shut off unnecessary services.
0 Comments