Kolkata, Aug 14 (IANS): BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, on Wednesday staged a protest at the Assembly against the rape and murder of a doctor at state-run RG Kar Medical College & Hospital last week.

The BJP legislators sat on the staircase leading to the Assembly, holding placards.

They were demanding the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also the health minister of the state.

Adhikari also slammed the chief minister over her participation in the Kanyashree Divas, which is celebrated with the theme Kanyashree, a West Bengal government scholarship scheme for girl students.

“One has to be utterly shameless to get into celebratory mode when the whole state is distressed about the safety of women and unequivocally condemning the attempt to botch up the investigation of the harrowing RG Kar rape and murder incident,” Adhikari said.

“She grabbed the CM's chair after being defeated by me in Nandigram. Thus it's only possible for her to celebrate 'Kanyashree Day' with chicken biriyani when the Kanyas of Bengal are in pain and agony,” he said.

The BJP’s chief whip in the Assembly, Shankar Ghosh said that the party will continue with the agitation programmes in the coming days on this issue.

“We challenge those in the police, who are acting as agents of the ruling Trinamool Congress, to stop us. Crime against women has become a regular feature in West Bengal,” Ghosh said.

Echoing Adhikari, Ghosh also questioned how fruitful the state government’s developmental schemes for women and girls would be, when the basic safety and security of women in the state were at stake.