Deputy Commissioner of Police Devendra P Singh sustained head injuries during the protest.
A senior police officer was hit on the head by a brick hurled by BJP workers during a protest in front of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation today.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Devendra P Singh, who was not wearing a helmet, was at the protest using a megaphone asking protestors to disperse when a brick flew straight at him and hit his head.
Policemen rushed to help him as his head started bleeding and launched a lathi charge to disperse the crowd. The officer received several stitches to his head. 12 BJP supporters have been arrested.
The BJP's traders' cell was protesting on a number of issues, including renovation of old markets and rehabilitation of hawkers who have swelled in numbers. "We pay taxes. Why should hawkers be allowed to block our shop fronts?" said Bhanu Prakash Singh, convenor. He added that Kolkata Municipal Corporation must rehabilitate the hawkers.
He pointed to the fact that 5000 shopkeepers in Kolkata's iconic New Market and its neighbor have downed shutters to protest the same problem -- the spurt in the number of hawkers in that neighbourhood as well. New Market shop owners have shut shop for three days starting today.
Hawkers in the new market area are upset about the shopkeepers' protest. "We have had stalls here for generations. Why do they want us out now? It must have something to do with the upcoming elections," said Nishar Ahmed whose father ran the garments stall opposite Globe Cinema before him. Municipal elections are scheduled for 18 April.