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As the RG Kar rape-murder case, which shook the whole nation, nears a moth, protests were held across various parts of West Bengal, criticising the Mamata Banerjee-led state government and demanding justice for the victim.
The brutal rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has sparked widespread protests in West Bengal and across the country. The victim was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. A huge crowd gathered at Jadavpur 8B bus terminus on Sunday to protest over RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident and to demand justice for the victim. A protester speaking to ANI criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, claiming she is more concerned with preserving her position than addressing the issue. "The Bengal Chief Minister is of no use; she only cares about saving her position. If we do not get justice, we will stage a bigger protest," she told ANI. Another protester emphasised that justice must be served regardless of the time it takes. "We have gathered here for justice. No matter how long it takes, we demand that justice be served," she said. Another protester stated, "The night should be safe for everyone. (The protest will continue) until justice is served." Earlier today in Kolkata, people from various walks of life held a protest on Sunday over the Kolkata rape and murder incident by forming a human chain. In Tollygunge, artists and technicians of the Bengali film industry held a protest march against the Kolkata rape and murder incident and demanded justice for the victim. In Siliguri, people from the medical fraternity, activists and local citizens formed a human chain to protest against the RG Kar rape and murder case and demanded justice for the victim. In Kolkata's Raja Bazar area, women of the Muslim Committee held a protest over the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case and demanded justice for the victim. Earlier today, sculptors from Kumartuli, people with torches, BJP workers, and rickshaw pullers separately took to the streets to protest against the rape and murder incident. Notably, the protest has been ongoing for nearly a month. In a related development, BJP MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato on Sunday wrote a letter to the Director of ED requesting an investigation and arrest of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in connection with health scams involving Sandip Ghosh and the RG Kar Case. Amid mounting pressure on the Mamata government, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar on Sunday wrote to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and offered his resignation from the post of MP. "I have suffered patiently for a month since the terrible incident at RG Kar Hospital, & was hoping for your direct intervention with the agitating junior doctors, in the old style of Mamata Banerjee. It has not happened & whatever punitive steps that govt is taking now are too little & quite late. I think normalcy may have been restored in this state much earlier if the caucus of the corrupt doctors was smashed and those guilty of taking improper administrative actions punished immediately after the scandalous incident happened," reads the letter. The incident has sparked a war of words between the BJP and the state government, with the BJP demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. On Thursday, the victim's family accused the Kolkata Police of attempting to offer them money while they were grieving with their daughter's remains. Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer at the G Kar Medical College and Hospital, has been arrested in connection with the incident. On September 2, the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Dr Sandip Ghosh, along with three others, over alleged corruption and financial misconduct at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, has been remanded to 8-day police custody. The next hearing of the case will be on September 10. Amid protests over the Kolkata rape and murder case, the West Bengal Assembly this week unanimously passed the 'Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) 2024'. The Bill introduces the death penalty or life-long imprisonment for rape by amending the relevant sections in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the new penal code. On September 6, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose referred the Aparajita Bill to President Droupadi Murmu for consideration. (ANI)
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