Today in Politics: BJP to hold candlelight rally against vandalism at Kolkata doctors’ protest site; Sisodia set to kick off padyatra

He said that the BJP’s women’s wing will hold a candlelight rally to Banerjee’s south Kolkata residence at Kalighat from Hazra crossing on Friday to protest against the vandalism at Kar Hospital in the early hours of Thursday.

Majumdar said the party will hold several protest programmes across the state from Friday against the vandalism and ransacking of the emergency ward and other places there, including a stage where junior doctors were agitating demanding justice over the alleged rape and brutal murder of the woman postgraduate trainee.

In context: On Tuesday, the Calcutta High Court transferred the probe to the CBI while expressing displeasure over the handling of the case by the Kolkata Police, and observed that “there appears to be no significant progress in the investigation”.

The CBI team, comprising medical experts from Delhi AIIMS and forensic experts, on Wednesday visited the crime scene – the seminar hall of the hospital, where the body of the trainee doctor was found on August 9.

“Today, we visited the crime scene… We are planning to summon hospital staff members and officials for questioning. We will question the arrested accused — what was his involvement and how he could enter the seminar hall and emergency ward as a civic volunteer,” a CBI officer had told The Indian Express.

Recommended Reading: Miscreants disrupt midnight protest against Kolkata doctor’s rape-murder, wreak havoc at RG Kar hospital

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Sisodia to begin padyatra

Former Delhi Deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia will begin his padyatra on Friday.

The AAP on Wednesday postponed Sisodia’s padyatra to Friday following a Delhi Police advice against holding it on the eve of Independence Day due to security reasons.

AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the party found the Delhi Police advice genuine. “The padyatra of Manish Sisodia was supposed to begin today at 5 pm. Delhi Police suggested we postpone it owing to security reasons since it is the eve of Independence Day. We found their advice genuine and decided to postpone it to August 16. We did not want a confrontation on the occasion,” he said on Wednesday.

Bharadwaj said it is probably a “nature’s” plan that the padyatra will now be beginning from August 16, which happens to be Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s birthday. “According to the Hindi calendar, his birthday is on Janmashtami but according to the English calendar, it falls on August 16. Whatever happens, happens for good. Maybe it was nature’s plan that the padyatra begins on Kejriwal’s birthday,” he added. He said the ‘padyatra’ would cover all areas of Delhi.

BJD campaign against BJP’s “betrayal” of elders

The BJD on Friday will kick off its campaign against the Odisha government to highlight alleged “betrayal” regarding the old-age pension scheme.

In a post on X, former Chief Minister and party chief Naveen Patnaik said, “The BJD will launch a statewide awareness campaign from August 16. The campaign will be launched in all the gram panchayats of the state. The BJD will fight for the rights of the elderly. All party workers and conscious citizens will be involved in the campaign and make people aware about BJP’s betrayal.”

Patnaik slammed the BJP for failing to deliver on its election promises of Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 in social security allowances for elderly, disabled, widows, and the destitute. Instead, the budget only provides enhanced allowances to those over 80 years old or with 80% disability, he added.

He noted that despite the BJP government’s significant debt of Rs 45,000 crore, it has not fulfilled its promises, leading to widespread dissatisfaction.

Dhankhar on two-day Telugu states tour

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar will visit Hyderabad in Telangana and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh during his two-day tour of the Telugu states starting Friday.

During his visit, Dhankhar will visit Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad on August 16.

On August 17, Dhankhar will visit Akshara Vidyalaya Campus & Skill Development Centre, the Swarna Bharat Trust and the Muppavarapu Foundation at Nellore. He will also preside over as the chief guest at the 23rd anniversary celebrations of the Swarna Bharat Trust in Venkatachalam.

– With PTI inputs