India: Tensions rise in the streets over the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata

The tension in India continues to rise following the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata in early August. This Tuesday, police had to go all out to contain the protests, using tear gas and water cannons against the demonstrators demanding justice against the culprits.

According to what senior security force commanders told AFP, more than 100 people were arrested for "incitement to violence." They claim that many of the demonstrators charged at the officers aggressively and violently.

Many of the demonstrators who are doctors and healthcare professionals took the opportunity to call for improved security measures for their profession, while demanding the resignation of Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, the state where Kolkata is located.

The victim, 31, was found in a restroom in a public hospital in Kolkata where she worked. An autopsy revealed that she was raped and subsequently murdered. The body had several cuts and stab wounds.

Modi focused on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine

Despite the fact that tensions in his country are running high, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to be shying away from the situation on the streets and prefers to focus his efforts on meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and talking with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Last week, Modi traveled all the way to Kiev to meet with Zelensky and call for a peaceful resolution of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. "We stayed out of the war with great conviction. This does not mean that we were indifferent," he noted.

Days later, the Indian prime minister communicated directly with Putin to ask for a "quick" solution to the conflict.