West Bengal

Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi on Friday replied to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterating her earlier demand for strict punishment for heinous crimes such as rape and rape-murder. Read full letter here.

In her latest letter, CM Banerjee expressed frustration with the lack of a direct response from Modi, criticizing the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development's generic reply as insufficient given the severity of the issue.

The rally, held to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over alleged mishandling of a rape and murder case involving a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, saw demonstrators marching towards the state secretariat.

The tragic incident, which involved the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor on August 9, has sparked widespread outrage across the country. In response, junior doctors in various regions have refused to attend to non-emergency patients, demanding justice for the victim and improved safety measures for women in hospitals.

The protest, which saw participants marching towards the state secretariat, quickly escalated as demonstrators overturned barricades, prompting police to use lathi charges, water cannons, and tear gas to disperse the crowd. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused the protesters of inciting violence, suggesting that the BJP was behind the unrest.

The streets of Kolkata and Howrah were engulfed in violence on Tuesday afternoon as protests demanding justice for the rape and murder victim at RG Kr Hospital turned chaotic.

The ongoing strike by junior doctors in West Bengal has evolved into one of the longest and most significant protests by medical professionals in the state’s recent history reportedly since the 1980s.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for a 12-hour general strike in West Bengal on Wednesday to protest police action on participants of the march to the state secretariat. BJP is planning the bandh from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.

The protest, organised by the Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj, began with students marching from College Square in Kolkata to the state secretariat, Nabanna. The protesters are demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and justice for the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Kolkata witnessed a dramatic scene on Tuesday as part of the ongoing 'Nabanna Abhijan' rally, with a video of a Sadhu in orange attire braving water cannons and waving the Indian flag capturing widespread attention online.