KOLKATA: West Bengal is bracing for a tense Friday as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) and opposition parties, the BJP and CPM, prepare for separate protests over the rape and murder of a postgraduate resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The incident has sparked national outrage and intensified the already volatile political climate in the state.
Both the BJP and CPM have condemned the recent vandalism at the state-run hospital, where a group of individuals stormed the premises during a late-night protest by women demanding justice for the crime. The vandals damaged property and clashed with police, further exacerbating the situation.
In response to the escalating tension, the state BJP has called for all political parties to unite in bringing Bengal to a standstill. The BJP has planned road blockades from 2 pm to 4 pm across Kolkata and other districts and announced a two-hour ceasework at all state government establishments. Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar criticized the state’s law and order situation, demanding CM Banerjee’s resignation, and announced a candlelight march near the CM’s residence.
The CPM has announced a two-day agitation beginning Friday, while the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) has called for a 12-hour bandh starting at 6 am. CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty accused the state government of orchestrating the vandalism and demanded the arrest of former RG Kar College principal Sandip Ghosh, alleging a cover-up of the crime.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA and opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari has written to Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting the deployment of paramilitary forces at RG Kar hospital, alleging that the vandals aimed to destroy evidence, particularly now that the CBI has taken over the investigation.
These opposition protests are set to coincide with TMC’s planned march, which demands capital punishment for the accused and condemns what it claims are opposition attempts to discredit CM Banerjee. The TMC asserts that the protestors at the hospital were not students but “outsider politicians” trying to stoke unrest in the state. The march, led by CM Banerjee, is scheduled to start at 3 pm in Kolkata.
In anticipation of widespread disruptions, the state government has issued a notification warning that absence from work, unless pre-approved or due to medical emergencies or family bereavements, will be treated as a “break in service.”
Addressing reporters on Thursday, CM Banerjee commented on the vandalism, stating, “I don’t blame students. Some outsider politicians are trying to foment trouble in Bengal. This is a BJP-Left collusion… A DCP who was trying to protect people had gone missing for several minutes until he was found unconscious. Police were attacked, and yet they showed extreme patience. I laud them for that.”
