Kolkata doctor rape-murder: TMC, BJP announce agitational programmes to demand justice for victim

Kolkata: Amid ongoing unrest over the rape-murder of a woman doctor at state-run R G Kar Hospital here on August 9, both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and opposition BJP have announced street protests with the shared demand for justice for the victim.

At the foundation day event of TMC's student wing, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that student unions will hold protests at every college gate on August 30, demanding capital punishment for the perpetrators.

On August 31, sit-ins and rallies will be organised in every block, while on September 1, women, including students, will stage all-day sit-ins in blocks to demand death penalty for the rapists and amendments to existing laws, she added.

Banerjee criticised the BJP-led central government for failing to introduce a legislation to ensure faster trials and exemplary punishments for rapists in a timely manner.

Responding, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar announced a series of protests starting August 29.

Saffron party activists will stage a sit-in at Esplanade Y Channel on Thursday, while the party's women's wing will gherao the state women’s commission office on August 30.

Majumdar demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of failing to ensure women's safety, attempting to cover up the incident, and diverting the investigation to shield certain individuals within the medical establishment.

The BJP plans to intensify protests with gheraos of district magistrate offices on September 2, sit-ins before block offices on September 4, and further demonstrations at every mandal on September 6. Additionally, they will stage a two-hour chakka jam in the first week of September.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said the party will also organise three rallies demanding the resignation of Mamata Banerjee following the rape-murder of the medic.

Speaking to reporters in Purba Medinipur, Adhikari said one of the rallies will proceed to the CM's Kalighat residence, while the other two will head to the state secretariat, Nabanna, and the Kolkata Police headquarters, Lalbazar. These rallies will also call for the resignation of city police commissioner Vineet Goyal.

"All three rallies will be held on the same day and we expect thousands of people to join in," Adhikari said without specifying the date for these rallies.