Police are using water cannons and teargas to stop protesters marching to Nabanna
The BJP has given the call for a 12-hour strike in West Bengal tomorrow to protest the police action on a march to state secretariat Nabanna over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
"We are forced to give the call for a general strike as this autocratic regime is turning a deaf ear to the voices of people, the demand for justice for the deceased doctor sister. Instead of justice, Mamata Banerjee's police are turning on the peace-loving people of the state, who only wanted a safe and secure environment for women," BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said.
Chaotic scenes played out on the streets leading to Nabanna as police intercepted a protest march to the state secretariat. Riot police used teargas shells, water cannons and batons to stop the protesters from proceedings towards the state secretariat. Some of the protesters were also seen throwing stones towards the cops.
No permission was given for the protest march and the ruling Trinamool Congress yesterday alleged a conspiracy to create unrest throw violence during the rally. Kolkata Police virtually turned Nabanna into a fortress and as many as 6,000 police personnel were deployed to stop the protesters from advancing the secretariat from any route. Drones were also used to keep a watch on the protesters. Barricades have been welded into the ground and greased to prevent the protesters from scaling them.
This morning, a group of protesters gathered at College Square and marched towards Nabanna. They raised slogans demanding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation over the horrific rape and murder case. Visuals showed the protesters shaking the barricades in their way.
While the ruling Trinamool alleges this is a BJP-backed protest, the organisers have said it is a march planned by student organisations. Many of the outfits part of today's protest are not registered organisations. Most known student outfits, including those affiliated to political parties, have distanced themselves from the protest.
This morning, Leader of the Opposition in Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said four student activists part of the protest plan went missing after midnight.
"The following Student Activists who were distributing food to the volunteers, who were arriving at Howrah Station, suddenly went missing after midnight :- Subhojit Ghosh, Pulokesh Pandit, Goutam Senapati, Pritam Sarkar. Neither they can be traced nor are they answering their phones.
We apprehend that they may have been arrested/detained by the Mamata Police. If something happens to them Mamata Police will be held accountable," Mr Adhikari said in a post on X.
Bengal police responded that the four were planning to orchestrate large-scale violence during today's march "and were involved in a conspiracy of murder and attempted murder". "They have been arrested in the Interest of public safety and security, and their families have been informed," they said. Mr Adhikari then said that the families of the four students have approached the Calcutta High Court.
One of organisers, Shubankar Halder, has said he used to be an ABVP member at one point, but is not linked to the organisation anymore. He said this protest is apolitical
At a press meet this evening, Trinamool leader and Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya called the protest a "flop show". "We have all seen how the police have acted today despite provocation. They were insulted and stones were thrown," she said.
Condemning the BJP's bandh call, she said, "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."
Earlier, the Trinamool said this march was an attempt to create chaos in the name of protest. Ms Bhattacharya told the media yesterday, "This is a BJP-ABVP plot to create disturbance. This is a plot to open fire by criminals in police uniform. Tomorrow there are exams. Can students do this? They are doing vulture politics."
The Trinamool released two videos to stress that there is a plot to create unrest. In the videos, the authenticity of which NDTV has not verified, several men are heard saying, "we need bodies". Trinamool leader Jayprakash Majumdar alleged, "The BJP leadership has been told that unless a Nandigram-type incident happens and there are dead bodies, the tide will not turn in BJP's favour."