National Desk, August 16, 2024 — Tensions escalated in Kolkata on Friday as clashes erupted between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and Kolkata Police outside the CGO Complex. The altercation occurred during a protest demanding justice for the victim of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case. Several BJP workers were detained amid the unrest.
In a separate incident, a scuffle broke out between police and activists from the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) (SUCI (C)) in Hazra. The SUCI (C) had organized a 12-hour general strike across West Bengal in solidarity with the victim, a trainee doctor who was raped and murdered on August 9 at RG Kar Medical College.
The violence in Kolkata is part of a broader wave of protests sweeping India. In Rajasthan, doctors at Sawai Man Singh Medical College (SMS) in Jaipur have declared a complete shutdown, affecting both routine and emergency services. Protests have also erupted in Patna, where doctors at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science are withholding services until justice is served.
In Delhi, AIIMS doctors are demanding the immediate implementation of a Central Protection Act for healthcare workers and plan to rally at Nirman Bhawan, anticipating thousands to join the demonstration. Similarly, junior doctors and medical students in Andhra Pradesh staged a protest and street play to underscore the severity of the incident.