Protesters blocked train tracks, halted buses, and chanted slogans in West Bengal, India, on Wednesday, marking the latest in a series of demonstrations following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor.
On Tuesday, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters marching towards the state secretariat, which led Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opposition party in the state, to call for a 12-hour state-wide strike on Wednesday, accusing the police of brutality.
Thousands of protesters, predominantly BJP supporters, blocked roads, railway tracks, and forced shops to close on Wednesday, while authorities prepared for further unrest throughout the day.
A senior police official reported that 5,000 officers were deployed across West Bengal to prevent any potential violence.
The protesters, many of whom were university students, demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a strong critic of Modi, over her handling of the August 9 rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at a government hospital in Kolkata.
The assault on the doctor has sparked nationwide outrage, reminiscent of the massive protests after the 2012 gang rape of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi. Campaigners argue that women continue to face high levels of sexual violence despite stricter laws.
A police volunteer has been arrested in connection with the crime, and the federal police have taken over the investigation.
