As protests over the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital continue, Kolkata experienced a unique and powerful display of civic solidarity on Wednesday evening when residents turned off their lights for an hour from 9pm to 10 pm and came down to the streets with burning candles.

The junior doctors at the state-run hospitals of West Bengal urged everyone to switch off lights and light a candle or a diya as a symbolic ‘lights out’ protest titled ‘Let There Be Light, Let There Be Justice’.

At 9 pm sharp, prominent landmarks such as the Victoria Memorial and Raj Bhavan, along with homes across the city, its suburbs and districts, plunged into darkness as part of the protest.

In Kolkata, protests were held in prominent landmarks including Shyambazar five-point crossing , Moulali, New Town Biswa Bangla Gate, Rashbehari crossing, Behala, Garia, Ballygunge, Hazra crossing and Jadavpur 8B bus stand.

Lights at West Bengal’s Raj Bhawan were also switched off as a symbol of protest against the horrific rape and murder case in Kolkata.

The Governor of West Bengal CV Ananda Bose also extended his support to the protest against the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital rape-murder incident by switching off the lights of the Raj Bhavan and lighting a candle. He also said, “”When light is fear , darkness is dear.”

Along with the people, BJP leaders including Sukanta Majumdar and Agnimitra Paul, also switched off their lights as a symbol of protest during a protest rally on Wednesday.

As a mark of solidarity, doctors at AIIMS, Delhi also carried out a candle protest on Wednesday. The resident doctors from major hospitals, including the AIIMS, Safdarjung and GTB Hospital, held a candlelight march here on Wednesday night intensifying their call for justice and solidarity with their fellow healthcare professionals.

The candlelight march, where all the RDA members, faculty members and nursing staff participated in a silent protest at the AIIMS was part of the larger “#JusticeForRGKar” movement, underscoring the collective demand for justice, said a spokesperson from the AIIMS Resident Doctors Association.

RG Kar Doctor’s Father Says He Begged Cops To See Her Body

The deceased doctor’s father spoke to the media about the rape-murder incident and said, “They told me she has committed suicide. It took 3 hours for us to see our daughter, we literally begged the police to see her.”

He further questioned, “Why were they late in conducting the post-mortem? Why was the FIR registered late?”

What Triggered These Massive Protests Across the Country?

On August 9, the body of an on-duty postgraduate trainee was found in the seminar room of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The incident has triggered nationwide outrage.

A civic volunteer was arrested shortly after the trainee doctor’s body was discovered. The CBI has also arrested former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, for alleged financial misconduct at the medical establishment.

(with agency inputs)