KOLKATA – What began as protests seeking justice for a murdered doctor in India’s eastern city of Kolkata have escalated into violent political clashes between rival parties on August 28. Thousands of protesters took to the streets, sparking confrontations between supporters of West Bengal’s ruling All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The protests were initially ignited by the discovery of a 31-year-old doctor’s bloodied body at a state-run hospital in Kolkata on August 9, which fueled nationwide outrage over violence against women. The incident has provoked strikes by medics and rallies backed by citizens across India, although some doctors have since resumed work.
In West Bengal, however, protests have taken a political turn. The BJP, which holds power nationally under Prime Minister Narendra Modi but sits in opposition in West Bengal, demanded justice for the murdered doctor and called for the resignation of AITMC leader and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Clashes erupted between the two parties’ supporters, with BJP chanting slogans for justice while AITMC backers pushed back. Tensions escalated on Tuesday when police fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters, leading to at least 245 arrests. The unrest continued on Wednesday with a BJP-led shutdown of Kolkata, resulting in further skirmishes, road barricades, and disruptions to train services.
Despite one man being detained for the doctor’s murder, Banerjee’s government has been criticized for its handling of the investigation. India’s Supreme Court has ordered a national task force to bolster security for healthcare workers, calling the killing “horrific.”
The gruesome attack has drawn comparisons to the 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a Delhi bus, a case that sparked national outrage and became a major political issue. Sexual violence remains rampant in India, with an average of 90 rapes reported per day in 2022.