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In a rerun of the 'Reclaim the Night' campaign, hundreds of women took to the streets in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal on Sunday night, demanding justice for the alleged rape and murder of a doctor in the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Braving intermittent rains, women of all ages and backgrounds assembled in several areas such as Jadavpur, Garia, Behala Parnashree, Khanna, Lake Town, and other city locations, and raised slogans -- 'We want justice'.
Protests, similar to the August 14 'Reclaim the Night' gatherings across West Bengal, were also held in Madhyamgram Chowmatha in North 24 Parganas, Siliguri, Durgapur, and other locations.
Some protesters carried flaming torches, while others displayed placards, demanding exemplary punishment for those involved in the horrific crime and condemning alleged efforts by parts of the administration to shield the culprits.
Expressing solidarity with the protestors, senior Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari told reporters, "I urge people to give a call for a march to state secretariat Nabanna so that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee can hear the voices of protest from her office. Let there be no party colour or flag. I am ready to support the battle of the people as a citizen."
Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh told reporters that the BJP was trying to 'politicise' the incident.
"The CM is on the side of the bereaved family and already hit the streets demanding exemplary punishment of culprits. The case is now being investigated by the CBI. We all want justice to be done. We all are for the security of women," he added.
Meanwhile, Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Sunday stated that he 'has called an emergency meeting of a cross-section of Bengal society to apprise them of the action taken in the matter and to gather their opinions on the issue'.
Taking to social media platform X, Bose said, 'HG's swift action on the letter from Shri Harbhajan Singh expressing his anguish over the tragic incident at R.G. Kar Medical College. HG has called an emergency meeting of a cross-section of Bengal society to apprise them of the action taken in the matter and to take stock of their opinions in this regard.'
He further stated that he would be addressing Singh on the actions taken and expressed his 'solidarity with the civil society across India, who have voiced their deep concern over the ghastly incident and the apparent inaction of the government'.
-- with ANI inputs