Women in Kolkata and several other parts of the country hit the streets around midnight today to protest against the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident has shaken the country and triggered nationwide protests. At demonstrations in medical colleges and hospitals across the country, doctors have demanded security on duty.
Amid the protests, a mob vandalised the hospital where the post-graduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered. As the protest turned violent, the cops fired tear gas and resorted to lathi-charge the agitators to bring the situation under control.
A student of the medical college and hospital said, “They were outside mob.”
The protest, which has been named, “Women, reclaim the night”, began at 11.55 tonight, and has been described as, “For women’s independence on the midnight of independence”.
Here are Updates on the Kolkata protest:
Mamata Banerjee has sent her TMC goons to the apolitical Protest Rally near RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
She thinks that she is the most shrewd person in the whole world and people won’t be able to figure out the cunning plan that her goons appearing as protestors would… pic.twitter.com/1CPI2f1KUr– Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) August 14, 2024
#WATCH | Kolkata Police Commissioner, Vineet Goyal says, “…What has happened here is because of the wrong media campaign, which has been a malicious media campaign which is going as far as Kolkata police is concerned. What has the Kolkata police not done? It has done everything… https://t.co/UNpmrdVm9lpic.twitter.com/pgt1gFNnsQ
– ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2024
The hooliganism and vandalism at RG Kar tonight have exceeded all acceptable limits. As a public representative, I just spoke with @CPKolkata , urging him to ensure that every individual responsible for today’s violence is identified, held accountable, and made to face the law…
– Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) August 14, 2024
#WATCH | West Bengal: Protest held against RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident, in College Square area of Kolkata. pic.twitter.com/xCrFcwE4s4
– ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2024
#WATCH | Visuals from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where a scuffle broke out between the protesting doctors and police.
A protest was being held by the doctors in the campus of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital against the rape-murder of the trainee doctor pic.twitter.com/iEtxvwCsjd
– ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2024
A midnight protest has turned violent at the government hospital where a trainee doctor was raped and murdered last week. Barricades erected by the cops have been taken down by the protesters who are demanding justice for the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor. Read here.
Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has expressed displeasure with the state police’s handling of the rape-murder of a young doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College. He has also called an emergency meeting with Vice Chancellors of the state’s universities and will also hold a meeting with protesters tomorrow.
“The Governor has expressed his displeasure on complicity and alleged connivance of the police in matters of crime, particularly campus crimes,” read a statement from the Governor’s House.
Such a crime “shames the whole of Bengal, shames India.. and humanity,” he said in a video message.
Bengal, he said, “has to see reason”.
A day after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s cautious comment on the rape-murder of the Kolkata doctor that has left the country in turmoil, Rahul Gandhi’s post on social media today raised questions about the handling of the matter by the “local administration” in the state ruled by ally Trinamool Congress.
“The attempt to save the accused instead of providing justice to the victim raises serious questions on the hospital and the local administration,” read the post by Mr Gandhi, strongly condemning the attack.