Kolkata: The West Bengal BJP unit led a protest march on Thursday in the eastern outskirts of the city to protest the brutal rape and murder of a lady doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month.

"We want the truth to come out and we want justice. The state government and the state health department are trying to hide the truth. The state health department and R G Kar Hospital has tried to wipe out the evidence," BJP leader Dilip Ghosh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The streets resonated with chants of "We want justice," as women from all walks of life, along with party activists, united in a rally demanding accountability and an end to violence against women.

The rally, led by senior state BJP leaders, was headed towards Swasthya Bhawan. However, the police set up barricades near Indira Bhawan in Salt Lake to prevent the protesters from advancing further.

A clash erupted between Kolkata police and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and the police finally detained them.

BJP leader and leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said, “On one hand, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is staging protests, claiming she wants justice for the victim, while on the other, she has deployed a team of top lawyers to the Supreme Court to achieve the opposite.”

“She has mobilised the full power of the state government, using taxpayers' money to hire the most expensive lawyers. The entire nation is watching the live hearings in the Supreme Court. Everyone can see what’s happening. People will respond appropriately when the time comes,” he added.

BJP leader Roopa Ganguly, who took part in the agitation, said that the people of West Bengal have little hope.

“Although the evidence has been destroyed, we have hope that the culprit will be caught,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by Mint.

The young doctor, whose body was found on August 9, was raped and murdered while on duty.

The following day, a civic volunteer was arrested by Kolkata Police in connection with the gruesome crime.

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the case to be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which began its investigation on August 14.