In Kolkata, India, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters demanding the resignation of a top state minister following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor. The attack on the doctor has sparked widespread outrage, with campaigners highlighting the continued high levels of sexual violence against women despite stricter laws. A police volunteer has been arrested for the crime and federal police have taken over the investigation.
Junior doctors across the country have been refusing to see non-emergency patients as they protest for justice for the victim and increased safety for women in hospitals. India’s Supreme Court has created a hospital safety task force and requested protesting doctors to return to work, but some have continued with their protests.
More than 5,000 police officers were deployed in Kolkata and Howrah as university students led protests demanding the resignation of the West Bengal Chief Minister. The governing Trinamool Congress party blamed the police crackdown on the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and its affiliates, while the BJP has supported the protesting students. The state government has denied accusations of trying to suppress the incident.
Overall, the protests in Kolkata highlight the ongoing issue of sexual violence against women in India, as well as the political tensions surrounding the response to such crimes.
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