On Saturday evening, a group of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, participated in a candlelight march to protest the death of a female post-graduate trainee (PGT) at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.
“Expressing deep condolences, RDA AIIMS Bhopal organized a candle march in honour of the innocent soul who passed away. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone for their support and participation,” the doctors at AIIMS Bhopal said.
Doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi also joined the protest, calling for a CBI investigation into the incident. The protesters carried signs and chanted slogans like “We want a CBI inquiry.” Dr Gautam, one of the protesting doctors, stressed the importance of preventing such incidents and ensuring justice.
“Women are not safe even on campuses where we talk about women’s empowerment. The government should act swiftly to catch the guilty,” he said.
Another female protester voiced her frustration over the lack of progress, questioning, “Who will be next?”
Dr Ritik Ghosh criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s assurances, pointing out that similar incidents have taken place before without proper punishment for those responsible. “This is not the first time such heinous crimes have happened, and we are dissatisfied with the assurances from the Bengal CM. It is a shame for both, the Bengal government and India,” he said.
In Kolkata, Congress workers held a protest rally on Saturday demanding justice. The previous morning, a second-year medical student was found dead at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, triggering a political uproar in West Bengal.
BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul has called for a CBI investigation and a re-postmortem by at a central government hospital. Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and a BJP leader, has also demanded a CBI inquiry into the case. Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar and BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul visited the home of the female post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor. They criticised the TMC government for its handling of law and order in West Bengal, describing the incident as “shameful and horrific.”
Majumdar said, “A very shameful and horrific incident has happened. This is a repeat of the Nirbhaya case in Delhi. The kind of incident we are seeing shows that law and order is not good in West Bengal. It is not at all safe for the women. The government should take responsibility for the same. The CBI should investigate it.”