Amidst the ongoing ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’ march to the State Secretariat, organized by the student organization Paschimbanga Chattro Samaj, West Bengal police used water cannons to disperse protesters assembled at Howrah Bridge. This was in demand for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation over the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at RG Kar College in Kolkata and alleged failure to ensure women’s safety in the state.
Police Use Water Canons At Howrah Bridge
On Tuesday, August 27, the Kolkata police used tear gas and water cannons to stop hundreds of people marching towards the state secretariat Nabanna. Mamata Banerjee was in her secretariat office when the protestors broke through the police barricades and threw stones at the security personnel. An officer stated that they deployed about a hundred personnel and anti-riot vehicles since intelligence assessments suggested that some miscreants may attack police officers.
They also said they had set up barricades on the Kona Expressway, Howrah Bridge and every road and lane around the Nabbana as a precautionary measure. Police first used water cannons on the Howrah Bridge at 1 PM to disperse the crowd that tried to break through the set-up barricades. The incendiary started throwing stones at police at Santragachhi at 1:20 PM which prompted the police to launch tear gas shells.
A policeman was also beaten up at the Howrah Maidan while another one suffered head injuries amid the stone-throwing at Santragachhi. Police superintendent Praveen Tripathi revealed that they haven’t been able to find out exactly how many police personnel were injured. Police used batons to disperse a group that had broken over steel barricades in Burrabazar.
Protesters began gathering in small groups from Kolkata and Howrah around 12.30 p.m., although the government had denied permission for the march on Monday, declaring it illegal. Police said that the march’s organiser, the Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj, is affiliated with a political party but did not name it. Sayan Lahiri, a Chhatra Samaj leader, stated on Monday that the protests were unrelated to any political party, but admitted to being a BJP member. “I never denied that I am in the BJP,” stated the politician.
On Tuesday, August 27, BJP leaders, including former Lok Sabha member Arjun Singh, joined the march, claiming to have come as an individual. “We will go as far as possible,” Singh stated. Sukanta Majumdar, the BJP state chief, also supported the march.
Picture Credits: The Hindu, The New Indian Express