Protesters in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal blocked train tracks, halted buses, and chanted slogans on Wednesday in response to the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor, Reuters reports.
The incident sparked a wave of protests across the state, causing significant disruptions in everyday life.
On Tuesday, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters marching toward the state secretariat. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and currently the opposition in West Bengal, declared a 12-hour state-wide strike on Wednesday to protest what it described as police brutality during the demonstrations.
Thousands of protesters, mostly BJP supporters, took to the streets, blocking roads and railroad tracks and forcing businesses to close. Authorities have deployed 5,000 police officers across the state to prevent further violence.
The protesters, including many university students, are calling for the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a vocal critic of Modi, over her handling of the August 9 incident. The 31-year-old doctor was raped and murdered at a government hospital in Kolkata, the state capital.
The attack has sparked widespread outrage, similar to the protests that erupted after a 23-year-old student was gang-raped on a bus in New Delhi in 2012. Despite tougher laws, campaigners claim that women in India continue to face high levels of sexual violence.
A police volunteer has been arrested in connection with the crime, and federal authorities have taken over the investigation.
