Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Defying Supreme Court's directive to resume their duties by September 10, doctors continued their quest for justice in Bengal as the protests over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital entered its 33rd day. The junior doctors also continued their sit-in protest outside the Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata for the second day on Wednesday. Senior BJP leader Agnimitra Paul, who was spotted near the headquarters of the health department, was greeted with the chants of "go back" by the protesting junior doctors staging sit-in there today.
It is being alleged that Paul, escorted by her security personnel and supporters, tried to enter the protest site, when the incident took place. However, Paul has claimed that she was not there to join the doctors' protest and was merely passing through the area, since her office was nearby, news agency PTI reported.
The junior doctors have been staging a sit-in outside Swasthya Bhavan since Tuesday demanding removal of the Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and senior health officials for their alleged mishandling of the case of the 31-year-old doctor's rape and murder in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last month.
Paul told the reporters: "I was not there to participate in the protest or to add a political colour to it. I was passing by the area on my way to the BJP office, which is nearby. The roads on both ends of the party office were closed due to the students' agitation. I support the junior doctors' protests, I did not go there to join them."
On the other hand, one of the agitating doctors claimed that the BJP leader was attempting to politicise the protest. "She was speaking to the media while standing beside the protest venue. She could have simply passed without making any statement. She was making a political remark, which is why we raised the 'go back' slogans," the medic said, as quoted by PTI.
Mamata Trying To Destory Doctors' Protest: Paul
Earlier today, the BJP leader claimed that Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee was trying to "undermine and destory" the doctors' protests in Kolkata, which she called the "backbone" of the society's fight for justice.
"The doctors’ protest is the backbone of our society’s fight for justice! And while CM Mamata Banerjee tries her best to undermine and destroy it, we stand with our brave doctor brothers and sisters who remain unwavering in their strength and resolve. Their courage in the face of adversity is truly commendable. We salute them for continuing this fight for the betterment of our healthcare system! #SupportDoctors #JusticeForRGKar #StandStrong," she wrote in a post on X.