JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Before we bring you the next story, we ask that you listen with care. It discusses sexual violence.
In India, the rape and murder of a doctor at a hospital this month triggered protests across the country. And as NPR's Diaa Hadid reports, the fallout has spiraled into a political clash.
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UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Non-English language spoken).
DIAA HADID, BYLINE: There's widespread anger over the crime and how the state government initially handled it. Local media reports the police first claimed the woman committed suicide. Later, a mob trashed part of the hospital, potentially destroying evidence. Since then, India's highest judicial body, the Supreme Court, said it would handle hearings surrounding the case. But some doctors are still marching. They want to be sure justice will be done for their colleague.
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UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Non-English language spoken).
HADID: Supporters of the Hindu nationalist BJP party are also protesting in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. That's the state where this crime occurred.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: We want justice.
UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: We want justice.
HADID: They've tried to shut down the city. They demand the resignation of the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee. She belongs to a party that's a local rival to the BJP. The BJP says the doctor's rape and murder is her failure. Banerjee isn't just the chief minister. She's the minister of health and of security. Sreyashi Dey is a senior editor at the Indian daily, ThePrint. She says Banerjee's multiple roles have put her in a position where...
SREYASHI DEY: She has to be answerable to the people that, how can a doctor who is on duty in a government hospital raped and murdered?
HADID: Banerjee is fighting back. She's even led a large protest flanked by prominent female members of her party.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: This is a march by Mamata Banerjee.
HADID: Sagarika Ghosh, the deputy leader of Banerjee's party, the TMC, says they're outraged by the crime. She accuses the BJP of creating anarchy.
SAGARIKA GHOSE: They're trying to destabilize the situation.
HADID: Many Indian human rights activists and feminists have decried this political argument over what is ultimately the violent assault and murder of a woman. They want Indian politicians of all stripes to take women's safety more seriously.
Diaa Hadid, NPR News, Mumbai. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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