NEW DELHI, Nov 16 (AFP) -About a hundred opposition protesters held a demonstration outside the Irish embassy on Friday over the death of an Indian woman who died after being refused an abortion in the Catholic country. The crowd, carrying posters of the dead 31-year-old dentist Savita Halappanavar and accusing Irish authorities of committing “medical [...]

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NEW DELHI, Nov 16 (AFP) -About a hundred opposition protesters held a demonstration outside the Irish embassy on Friday over the death of an Indian woman who died after being refused an abortion in the Catholic country.

Demonstrators from India's BJP shout slogans against the Irish government for the death of Indian national Savita Halappanavar (AFP)

The crowd, carrying posters of the dead 31-year-old dentist Savita Halappanavar and accusing Irish authorities of committing “medical murder”, were prevented by police from getting close to the Irish compound.

Elsewhere, the Indian government cranked up the pressure on Dublin over the October 28 death of Halappanavar after local politicians expressed their concern and urged the government to act. Foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said India’s ambassador to Ireland would meet Irish authorities on Friday to seek assurances of a “transparent” probe.

“We expect that he will also seek reassurance from the Irish authorities that they will hold an independent, transparent enquiry into the matter,” Akbaruddin told AFP.

“He will request that the Irish authorities keep India informed of the progress and outcome of the enquiry,” he said, adding that the envoy would also convey the “concern growing in India” over Halappanavar’s death.

The dentist repeatedly asked staff at University Hospital in Galway, west Ireland, to terminate her pregnancy because she was miscarrying, her family said.

Doctors allegedly refused her demand, telling her that “this is a Catholic country”. Abortion is illegal in Roman Catholic-dominated Ireland except when it is necessary to save the life of the mother. Smriti Irani, president of the women’s wing of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, was among the protesters outside the embassy and she was allowed in as part of a four-person delegation to meet the ambassador.
“The Irish ambassador assured us that there could be a possibility of inviting international experts to be part of the investigation and we told him that Savita’s husband should also be part of it,” Irani said.

“The ambassador acknowledged that there is intense pressure (on Ireland) not only from the people of India but globally over Halappanavar’s death,” Irani told reporters amid shouts of “we want justice”.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has described the death as a “tragedy”, while two separate investigations have been announced.

Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid expressed regret over her death, saying: “It is extremely sad and unfortunate. Whatever the inquiry does, human loss cannot be compensated.”Indian Communist Party leader Brinda Karat said not treating Halappanavar’s condition as a medical emergency was a “crime”.
Ireland’s abortion laws have been the subject of debate for years. Under a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, women in Ireland are legally entitled to an abortion when it is necessary to save the life of the mother. But legislation has never been passed to reflect this.

In India, there is a maternal death every 10 minutes, according to the United Nations, with the country accounting for about 20 percent of deaths worldwide of women who die during or shortly after childbirth.




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