Police in Kolkata, India fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of protesters demanding the resignation of a top state minister following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor. The attack on the 31-year-old doctor has sparked nationwide outrage, with protesters breaking through barricades and facing a police baton charge. A police volunteer has been arrested for the crime, and federal police have taken over the investigation.
Junior doctors across the country have refused to see non-emergency patients in solidarity with the victim, demanding justice and greater safety for women in hospitals. India’s Supreme Court has created a hospital safety task force and urged protesting doctors to return to work, but some have continued their protests. In Kolkata, more than 5,000 police officers were deployed as students led demonstrations calling for the resignation of the West Bengal Chief Minister.
The governing Trinamool Congress Party blamed the police crackdown on supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, who have also backed the protesting students. The state government denied accusations of trying to suppress the incident, while tensions remain high in Kolkata and Howrah. The protesters are demanding accountability for the crime and improved safety for women in India, despite the existence of tougher laws against sexual violence.
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