Suvendu calls for boycott of Puja Carnival, announces rally from College Square to Esplanade

Suvendu Adhikari has urged the people of West Bengal to boycott the Durga Puja Carnival organized by the state’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) government as a mark of protest. His call comes in the wake of ongoing junior doctors' agitation over the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case, which has shaken the state's medical community.

Adhikari, also the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, made the statement on Monday, suggesting that avoiding the carnival would show solidarity with the doctors' movement, which has entered its 10th day of a hunger strike. He expressed his frustration over the lack of justice for the victim, stating, "As per Hindu rituals, there is no mention of a carnival during Durga Puja. We don't understand where this idea came from, but boycotting it is a way to protest the ongoing injustice."

The carnival, which marks the culmination of Bengal’s largest festival, has been organized by the state government since 2016 on Red Road, showcasing the state's Durga Puja festivities on an international platform. This year’s carnival is scheduled for Wednesday, but Adhikari’s comments have raised questions about potential participation.

In addition to the boycott, Adhikari announced plans for a protest rally on Tuesday evening, to be held from College Square to Esplanade in Kolkata. The rally, he stressed, will be without any political party flags, urging ordinary citizens to join in support of women’s safety in West Bengal. He highlighted the increasing concerns over women’s security and the attacks on women in the state as key reasons for the rally.

Meanwhile, the junior doctors' hunger strike, which began on October 5, continues with seven doctors, including one from North Bengal Medical College, protesting the lack of action on their demands following the death of a postgraduate trainee in August. The doctors are pushing for greater safety measures and justice after the trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The health condition of two doctors worsened on Monday, with one being hospitalized.

The doctors have been on strike for almost 50 days, with two phases of 'cease work' followed by the current hunger strike. Despite the state government's assurances, the doctors remain firm in their demands, as public support grows in the wake of the incident.