Protests over doctor’s rape and murder paralyze Indian state
Chaos erupted in eastern India’s West Bengal state on Wednesday, 24 hours after police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters demonstrating over the rape and murder of a doctor earlier this month.
A statewide 12-hour strike was called on Tuesday by the West Bengal branch of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in response to clashes between protesters and police.
Sukanta Majumder, a BJP member and union minister of state, said the strike had been called in opposition to the “violence on the student agitation” during the protest march.
On Wednesday, Reuters reported that thousands of protesters, including BJP workers, had blocked roads and railway tracks, and forced shops to shut down. Although schools and colleges remained open, attendance was affected, according to reports.
Around 5,000 police officers have been deployed to maintain peace. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported during the 12-hour shutdown, according to the Times of India, and two people were hospitalized with gunshot injuries to the head.
On August 9, the body of a doctor was found in a seminar hall on the college campus at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. The incident sparked a wave of protests across India, with medical professionals, lawyers, students, and political parties staging the demonstrations. A police volunteer, who used to work at the hospital, has been arrested in connection with the incident.
The BJP has demanded the sacking of Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal’s chief minister, who leads the rival Trinamool Congress (TMC) party. The BJP has criticized Banerjee for her government’s handling of the case relating to the rape and and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor, and many controversies over the way police have carried out their investigation. The case is now being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a federal agency.
Banerjee’s government asked people not to participate in the shutdown on Wednesday. Addressing a public gathering, the chief minister alleged that the BJP, which rules at federal level with the support of allies, “doesn’t want justice” but is trying to “defame Bengal.” Banerjee vowed to introduce a bill providing for the death penalty for rapists within seven days of a crime.
Last week, she wrote to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for “stringent central legislation” and strong central laws to prevent such crimes. Modi then commented on the issue, saying that the safety of women is a priority for his government, and that federal authorities would support states “in every possible way” to stop atrocities against females.
Despite New Delhi’s introduction of tougher legislation to combat crimes against women, India continues to contend with high levels of such offenses, including sexual violence.
