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Kolkata: Kolkata and its adjoining areas turned into a warzone after protesters and police clashed over student organizations ‘Nabanna Abhiyaan’.
Scuffles were seen between police and protestors including senior citizens at Howrah Bridge and police had to resort to lathi charge and water cannons to disperse the crowds. Braving water cannons, even then the protestors have broken the police barricades on Howrah Bridge.
A protester questioned where the police were when a rampage took place at the RG Kar hospital premises in the wee hours of August 15. “Now the police are becoming active when the students have hit the streets demanding justice and resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Where did the police go when the rampage took place at RG Kar with the intention of wiping the evidence?” questioned the protestors.
A senior citizen carrying a national flag mentioned that he had hit the streets demanding ‘Justice for the daughter who had lost her life’. The same scene was seen in Santragachi, MG Road and College Street and the protestors tried to break open the police barricades.
Close to the state secretariat Nabanna, bricks were held at police by the protestors and left several police injured. The police charged batons and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd but the ‘undaunting spirit’ of the crowds led to resume their protests again.
A woman protester near Nabanna said that the male police had beaten her leading to her forehead injury. Namita, a student, said that their protests were ‘peaceful’ and also that the police suddenly started firing tear gas.
Protestors were seen injured near BabuGhat area after a police baton charged and the protestors have set police bikes and cars on fire. At the time of reporting police were again seen charging batons at protestors at Dorina crossing at Esplanade area after protestors resumed their protest.
A student said that the water that was sprinkled to disperse the crowd had acid and chili powder mixed in it. “The autocratic Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should immediately resign due to the atrocities that is going on in the state,” said the
The police have also arrested several protestors following which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a march to gherao city police headquarters Lalbazar. Situation again turned violent as BJP workers and police clashed and police had to resort to firing of tear gas for which several BJP workers including the state president Sukanta Majumdar got injured.
Supratim Sarkar, ADG (South Bengal) said that they have arrested those who were carrying arms with them. “We apprehended violence and we had taken proper action to prevent the same. There were several ignitions from the protestors to ignite police and create a bigger violence. Our officers got injured but we didn’t fall into the trap of the protestors,” added Sarkar.
