Amid widespread protests by students, doctors and opposition political parties in the state over the rape and murder of a 31-year old doctor’s rape and murder at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed grief and solidarity with the family of the trainee doctor.
She dedicated the foundation day of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad to the victim of the incident.
“Today, on the foundation day of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, I am dedicating it to our sister, whom we mourned the tragic loss of at RG Kar Hospital a few days ago. Expressing our heartfelt condolences and seeking immediate redress for that incident. Our hearts go out to all the women of all ages who have been victims of inhuman incidents. Sorry,” she said in a post in Bengali on X.
The West Bengal Chief Minister, further emphasized that students and youth have a great social role.
“It is the task of student society to give the dream of a new day by keeping the society and culture awake and to inspire everyone around with the bright vows of a new day. My appeal to all of them today, be encouraged in this effort, and stay committed. My dear students, stay well, stay healthy, stay committed to a bright future,” Mamata Banerjee said.
Bengal Bandh Today
Meanwhile, the BJP called a 12-hour ‘Bengal Bandh’ on Wednesday in protest against police crackdown on peaceful protest during the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ – march to the state secretariat on Tuesday.
The rally termed “Nabanna Abhiyan” started from the College Square in the capital of West Bengal on Tuesday, amid heightened security around the West Bengal state secretariat with protestors gathering at the Santragachi area in Howrah.
Later, the police hosed protestors with water cannons as they climbed atop police barricades, clashed with police personnel and broke the barricades at Santragachi in Howrah during the protest march.
Protestors also dragged away police barricades and police resorted to opening lathi-charge and lobbing tear gas shells to disperse them.
Following the chaos, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) TMC listed “BJP’s idea of a ‘peaceful protest’,” in a social media post in X, which includes stone pelting, pushing barricades, severely injuring the police, orchestrating extreme chaos and disrupting the law and order of the state.
TMC further stated that the “Nabanna Abhiyan” was a conspiracy by the BJP and was “nothing short of a FATAL ATTACK on Bengal!”
The rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital premises sparked nationwide outrage and since then several protests have been staged demanding justice for the victim. The trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of the hospital on August 9.
(With inputs from ANI)