15000 football fans unite to protest for justice in RG Kar Hospital case

East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan SC football fans came together to protest.

Sports has always given a pedestal to revolutionaries and today similarly, Indian football witnessed an exemplary showcase of courage and unity, as thousands of fans belonging to arch-rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant along with Mohammedan Sporting Club stood together in their protest against injustice.

Fans from all three big clubs in Kolkata were trying to peacefully protest against the RG Kar medical student rape case.

Initially, the Derby had been called off since the state has been reeling under massive civilian protests held to show solidarity with the bright resident doctor who lost her life in a heinous rape and murder case at the RG Kar Hospital in Shyambazar, Kolkata a week or so ago.

State police authorities had claimed that they wouldn’t be able to protect fans in case the match was to be held at the Salt Lake Stadium, given the staggering footfall.

Most fans were upset about the fact that a fraction of the same strength of police that has now been stationed outside the stadium could have been assigned to allow the fans to witness the game.

However, every fan had one agenda that they were going to voice out once inside the stadium, with or without police protection – swift delivery of justice for the RG Kar incident.

Mohun Bagan captain and left-back Subhasish Bose was spotted in one of these fan processions, taking to the streets with his wife, to join in with the protestors. 

The RG Kar incident was absolutely horrific and mind numbing, but the details coming out along with the authorities’ attempts to hide the truth and silence the people is beyond shocking. pic.twitter.com/RxMH0r6le3

— Subhasish Bose (@subhasis_bose15) August 18, 2024

The fans were also beaten up by the police outside the Salt Lake Stadium. The good thing was both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal supporters forgetting their rivalry were fighting for justice together.

AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey who was in the thick of it outside the Salt Lake Stadium, spoke to Asia News International (ANI), 

“The first derby match of the season between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan was scheduled to be held today and the number of police personnel that have been deployed here to stop this match and to arrest the supporters who had come to watch the match, if even half of them were deployed then this match would have taken place today. East Bengal, and Mohun Bagan matches should be held here. I believe that football is not involved in any politics, it is above all colour, religion and caste.

“I am fully confident that if you organize the match here, there will be no ruckus, no unrest in the football ground. I am fully confident that all the people will support their teams peacefully, but the match should not be shifted from here. The people of football also want that the culprit should be caught as soon as possible and the culprit should be punished.” 

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey says, "The first derby match of the season between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan was scheduled to be held today and the number of police personnel that has been deployed here to stop this match… pic.twitter.com/exIDErb4zA

— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2024

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