Kolkata: The brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor in West Bengal has sparked widespread outrage, leading to intense protests across the state. The student union, Paschimabanga Chhatra Samaj, staged a large-scale demonstration on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The protest, named Nabanna Abhiyan (Nabanna Abhijan protest), started as a rally but soon escalated into a tense standoff with police in Howrah’s Santarchi area.
As protesters attempted to break through police barricades, clashes erupted. Some demonstrators were dragged away by the police, while others resorted to throwing stones. The police responded with tear gas, lathi charges, and even fired shots into the air to disperse the crowd. The situation remains tense, with ongoing confrontations between the protesters and law enforcement. In response to the unrest, security has been significantly tightened around CM Mamata Banerjee’s residence.
Four students were arrested in connection with the protests, accused of conspiring to incite violence. The arrests sparked further controversy, with BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari claiming on social media platform X that the students had “disappeared” overnight. The Bengal Police refuted these claims, stating that no one had gone missing. In response, Adhikari asserted that the families of the arrested students had approached the High Court, challenging the police’s actions.
Amid the unrest, the Kolkata Police Department has deployed 6,000 personnel to maintain order, with 26 District Collectors monitoring the situation closely. Additionally, civic volunteers were seen greasing the gates of Fort William in Hastings to prevent protestors from scaling them. To minimize disruption to public life, the government has declared holidays for schools and taken other precautionary measures.
