Vivek Agnihotri Leads Rally Over Kolkata Doctor's Tragic Death

Film director Vivek Agnihotri participated in a rally in Kolkata, denouncing the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Agnihotri, along with thousands of protestors, criticized Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's handling of the case. He emphasized the need for continued momentum to bring justice.

Film director Vivek Agnihotri on Wednesday asserted that the ongoing protests against the alleged rape and murder of a doctor in a state-run hospital here could turn into an uprising only if the momentum continues.

Accompanied by thousands of people, Agnihotri, director of 'The Kashmir Files' and 'The Tashkent Files', walked in a rally in Kolkata denouncing the August 9 incident in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, that triggered nationwide outrage.

Referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's handling of the case, the National Award-winning director wondered why the principal of the hospital was shifted to another facility hours after he resigned from the service.

"Why registration of an FIR in the case was delayed? Something has definitely gone wrong. And after all these, when we saw the CM coming out of her office and hitting the street, I felt this is the end of democracy," Agnihotri told PTI.

In Nirbhaya's case, people agitated for months in Delhi's Jantar Mantar in Delhi, he said adding: "I want to motivate young people. It is time Bengal is made great again." The 'Vaccine War' director, however, asserted: "I am not a politician. I am a citizen of this country.'' Agnihotri said he made a video and a podcast asking everyone to attend the protest rally which began from Moulali Crossing and ended at Dorina Crossing in central Kolkata, a distance of around two kilometres.

Several lawyers, intellectuals, prominent leaders belonging to the saffron camp such as former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta participated in the rally.

The director said this was not for any photo opportunity for him and he was not going to meet the parents of the victim nor visit R G Kar Hospital.

Agnihotri said since childhood he was influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Rishi Aurobindo, novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and later on by the works of Satyajit Ray.

''Sarat Babu wrote novels on liberating women from patriarchy. Ray made movies on the empowerment of women. This is the land where Vandemataram (which bows to Mother) was penned and there is no Vande Pitram (hailing Father),'' he said.

The body of a postgraduate trainee doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered, was found in the seminar room of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested in this connection the next day.

(With inputs from agencies.)