Senior TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray condemned the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at a state-run hospital in Calcutta and said he would hold a dharna in solidarity with a midnight protest scheduled to be organised by women on Wednesday.

Women in the eastern metropolis and districts of West Bengal are scheduled to hit the roads at midnight as a mark of protest against the killing of the trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

"Today I will sit on an individual dharna from 5 PM to 9 PM to register my protest and express my solidarity with women who will hit the streets tonight. Due to my age, I won't be able to join them at midnight but I express full support to them," Ray told PTI.

Last night in a post on X, the TMC MP had said he would join the protesters as he has a daughter and a granddaughter.

"Tomorrow I am going to join the protesters particularly because I have a daughter and little granddaughter like millions of Bengali families. We must rise to the occasion. Enough of cruelty against women. Let's resist together. Come what may, " he posted on the microblogging site.

Later, when a social media user posted that he might be thrown out of the party, Ray said, "Please need not worry for my fate. Blood of a freedom fighter flows in my veins. I'm least bothered."

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the probe into the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital from the Calcutta Police to the CBI.

Widespread agitation by junior doctors has crippled state healthcare services with the functioning of even emergency and outdoor departments coming to a halt in most state-run hospitals.

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