Tensions Rise as BJP and Trinamool Congress Clash Over Protest March
Kolkata, West Bengal – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for a 12-hour strike in West Bengal tomorrow in response to police action on a protest march to the state secretariat, Nabanna. The march was organized to demand justice for a 31-year-old doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Police Action and Protests: The protest, which was intercepted by police, saw riot police deploying teargas shells, water cannons, and batons to disperse the crowd. Protesters were also seen throwing stones at the police. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) had earlier alleged that the protest was a BJP-backed attempt to incite violence.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar stated, "We are forced to call for a general strike as this autocratic regime is ignoring the voices of the people and the demand for justice for the deceased doctor. Instead of providing justice, Mamata Banerjee's police are targeting peaceful protesters who only seek a safe and secure environment for women."
Security Measures and Allegations: The Kolkata Police had turned Nabanna into a fortress, deploying around 6,000 personnel and using drones to monitor the protest. Barricades were welded into the ground and greased to prevent scaling by protesters. Despite these measures, a group of protesters gathered at College Square and marched towards Nabanna, demanding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation.
TMC leaders, including Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, condemned the BJP's bandh call, dismissing the protest as a "flop show" and accusing the BJP of attempting to gain political ground through chaos. "For years now, Bengal has not seen a bandh. BJP has called a bandh to gain political ground, but there will be no bandh tomorrow," she asserted.
Missing Activists and Arrests: Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, claimed that four student activists involved in the protest went missing after midnight. He suggested they might have been detained by the police, which the Bengal police later confirmed. The police stated that the activists were arrested for planning large-scale violence and conspiracy to commit murder.
One of the protest organizers, Shubankar Halder, insisted the protest was apolitical, despite previous affiliations with the ABVP, a student organization linked to the BJP.
TMC's Response: TMC leaders released videos alleging that the protest was a plot to create unrest, with men heard saying, "we need bodies" in the videos. Jayprakash Majumdar, a TMC leader, accused the BJP of seeking a Nandigram-type incident to turn the tide in their favor.
The situation remains tense as both parties continue to trade accusations, with the BJP's bandh call expected to test the political climate in West Bengal.
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