Nabanna Abhijan: Police lathi-charge, use tear gas, water cannons to protesters

Amid chaos on the streets of Kolkata and Howrah on Tuesday after the police clashed with the agitators taking out the 'Nabanna Abhijan' (March to Bengal Secretariat) over the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month, the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, threatened to paralyse the state unless the police immediately stop their crack down on the “peaceful protesters". 

“Reports of unprovoked police attacks on the peaceful protesters are coming from several places. I request the Kolkata Police and the West Bengal Police to immediately stop action on the peaceful protesters. Otherwise we will paralyse the entire state on Wednesday,” Adhikari said.

The BJP leadership in West Bengal are also claiming that they are providing moral support to the protest -- apparently called by the student community of the state -- and that their supporters are not directly involved in the rally. 

The students’ wings of the Left Parties have already distanced themselves from the march, claiming the event is being organised by 'camouflaged' BJP and RSS leaders.

Located in the Mandirtala area of Howrah district adjacent to Kolkata, Nabanna is the state Secretariat from where the Government of West Bengal operates. It houses the offices of the Chief Minister and other top ministers and officials.

As per sources, no permission was given for the protest march while the ruling Trinamool Congress alleged on Monday that a conspiracy was being hatched to create unrest during the rally.

In the very first hour of the march, tension gripped Santragachi in Howrah where protesters tried to break through the barricades erected by the police to prevent the agitators from marching towards Nabanna. The riot police had to resort to lathi-charge and firing of teargas shells to disperse the crowd. Many protesters were seen carrying the Tricolour amid slogan-shouting.

There was also chaos on the Howrah Bridge where the protesters tried to jump over the guard-wall erected by the police in order to move forward. Besides lathi-charge and firing of teargas shells, the police also used water-cannons to disperse the mob. 

Some policemen received injuries after being hit by stones pelted by a section of the protesters. A jawan of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) had to be hospitalised.

However, the main rally that started from College Square in Central Kolkata with maximum turnout of people has been peaceful so far. 

The participants were heard raising slogans -- 'Dofa Ek, Dabi Ek, Mamata Banerjeer Padotyag' (There's only demand -- Mamata Banerjee's resignation), and 'Justice for RG Kar'.

Meanwhile, Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh has claimed this cannot be the nature of an apolitical protest. 

“Some of the organisers have already admitted their association with the RSS,” Ghosh claimed.

A total of 6,000 policemen have been deployed for the Nabanna Abhijan, of which 2,000 are posted in and around the state Secretariat.