Clash erupts in Kolkata amid protests over doctor's rape-murder; 19 arrested for hospital attack

Tensions flared in Kolkata on Friday as clashes broke out between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and Kolkata Police outside the CGO Complex. The altercation occurred during a protest demanding justice for the victim of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case. Several BJP workers were detained by authorities during the unrest.

In a related incident, a scuffle ensued between the police and activists of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) (SUCI (C)) in Hazra. The SUCI (C) had organized a 12-hour general strike across West Bengal to express solidarity with the victim, a trainee doctor who was raped and murdered on August 9 at RG Kar Medical College.

The protests have sparked widespread demonstrations across India, with medical professionals voicing their outrage. In Rajasthan, doctors at Sawai Man Singh Medical College (SMS) in Jaipur have declared a complete shutdown, disrupting both routine and emergency services. Similar protests have erupted in Patna, where doctors at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science are withholding services until justice is served.

In Delhi, AIIMS doctors are demanding the immediate implementation of a Central Protection Act for healthcare workers. They plan to rally at Nirman Bhawan, expecting thousands to join the demonstration. Similarly, junior doctors and medical students in Andhra Pradesh staged a protest and street play to highlight the gravity of the incident.