Hundreds of protesters on Tuesday clashed with the police in Kolkata during the "Nabanna Abhijan", calling for the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the arrest of those involved in the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital.
During the ongoing "Nabanna Abhiyan" march to the State Secretariat, organised by the student group Paschimbanga Chattro Samaj, the West Bengal police deployed water cannons and tear gas at Howrah Bridge to disperse the crowds.
Earlier in the day, a large number of protesters gathered around College Square in Kolkata as the "Nabanna Abhiyan" march kicked off.
In response to the controversy surrounding the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Paschimbanga Chattro Samaj started the march, demanding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation.
The protestors have blamed the chief minister for failing to guarantee the safety and security of women, which they claim resulted in the RG Kar incident, causing widespread national outrage.
Ahead of the "Nabanna Abhijan" march, the West Bengal police had intensified security measures around the state secretariat, "Nabanna". In preparation for the protests, the police deployed vajra vehicles, water cannons, and Riot Control Forces in the vicinity, and containers were placed to block the roads.
On Monday, the West Bengal Police declared the Nabanna Abhijan Rally's approach to the Nabanna or State Secretariat as "illegal" and described it as an attempt to provoke large-scale unrest in Kolkata.
The student protestors have stated that their march will not impact UGC-NET candidates since the exams are scheduled in two shifts. Despite these reassurances, many educational institutions have opted to either conduct online classes on Tuesday or declare a holiday.
Kolkata rape-murder case: Polygraph test
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has conducted two rounds of polygraph tests on Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College. Additionally, lie detector tests were performed on the main suspect, Sanjoy Roy.
The Calcutta High Court has given the CBI three weeks to submit a progress report on the investigation into financial irregularities at RG Kar Hospital. This report is due on September 17.