On the occasion of the 78th Independence Day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday led the celebrations in the state by hoisting the national flag at Red Road in Kolkata. She, joined in by the others, marked the vibrant display of state pride, featuring a march past by various army and police regiments, colorful tableaux showcasing the achievements of state government departments, and spirited performances by school children.
During the ceremony, Banerjee also awarded medals to four IPS officers in recognition of their outstanding service to the nation. Significantly, earlier in a post on X (formerly Twitter), she also extended her heartfelt wishes to the public, saying, "Happy Independence Day to all my brothers and sisters! Our freedom fighters sacrificed everything to earn this freedom. On this historic day, I pay my deepest respect to them for their selfless love for the motherland."
However, it is pertinent to note that, today's celebrations come amid mounting political tensions in state exacerbated over the vandalism incident at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where doctors were protesting against recent rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor there.
'BJP attacks TMC over vandalism incident'
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following vandalism at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident occurred as junior doctors were on strike, protesting the alleged rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee in the hospital's seminar hall last week.
In the early hours of Thursday, the hospital was reportedly ransacked by a mob during protests led by thousands of women across various parts of West Bengal. The, BJP leaders accused the Kolkata Police of failing to prevent the violence, criticizing them for their delayed response. "Where was Kolkata Police during this brutal assault? Hiding in the shadows, only to emerge after the damage was done. This is a gross dereliction of duty!" the BJP said in a statement on X.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee also condemned the incident, demanding swift action from the police. He called on law enforcement to arrest all those involved, regardless of their political affiliations, within a day.
(With inputs from agencies)
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