Police in India used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters in Kolkata demanding the resignation of a top state minister after the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor. The attack on the 31-year-old doctor has sparked nationwide outrage similar to the 2012 gang rape in New Delhi. A police volunteer has been arrested for the crime, and federal police have taken over the investigation.
Junior doctors in many parts of the country have refused to see non-emergency patients in protest, calling for justice for the victim and increased safety for women in hospitals. Despite the creation of a hospital safety task force by the Supreme Court, some doctors have continued their strike.
Protests led by university students in Kolkata and neighboring Howrah demanded the resignation of the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee. The governing Trinamool Congress Party blamed the police crackdown on the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and its affiliates, who are supporting the protesting students.
The BJP accused Banerjee’s administration of trying to suppress the rape and murder incident, which the state government denied. Over 5,000 police officers were deployed to handle the protests in Kolkata. The situation remains tense as protesters continue to call for justice and accountability in the wake of the heinous crime.
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