In a rare show of camaraderie, supporters of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan gathered near the Salt Lake Stadium to protest against alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Amid the ongoing protests in Kolkata, the first derby of the season between the two bitter rivals was cancelled on the eve of the match, on Saturday. The All India Football Association (AIFF) chief Kalyan Chaubey also joined the protest outside the iconic Salt Lake Stadium.

Protests have been rampant in Kolkata over the past week or so over the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

In order to avoid a similar situation inside the stadium, the Kolkata derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan was cancelled on Saturday.

Reports had also claimed that the Durand Cup organisers were also considering to shift the match outside Kolkata, with Jamshedpur leading the race to host the match.

Chaubey, however, criticised the decision to cancel the match, and was also not in favour to shift the matches outside Kolkata.

“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 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, Mohun Bagan matches should be held here,” Chaubey told the reporters during the protest.

Chaubey also demanded that the cluprit(s) behind the alleged rape and murder of the woman doctor must be punished.

“I believe that football is not involved in any politics, it is above all religion, 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,” he added.