A major clash took place between cadres of West Bengal’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday (July 8) after the latter took out a protest march over the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl in Baruipur located near state capital Kolkata.
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Mamata, a former chief minister who lost power in May after an election debacle, accused the saffron party of disrupting her party’s programme and also the police, saying the force in uniform worked as the ruling party’s arm and cared little to enforce the Calcutta High Court’s order permitting the rally.
More than 40 TMC workers injured
More than 40 workers, supporters and leaders of Mamata-led TMC were injured in the clashes and were admitted in the city’s SSKM Hospital. The supremo, who condemned the incident, said at a gathering at Hazra Crossing in southern Kolkata after the march concluded, that BJP supporters caused obstructions, assaulted her party’s workers, including women, and the police remained silent spectators.
Party MP Abhishek Banerjee met with the injured and spoke with them.
“The high court allowed our rally, but BJP goons stopped it. How can the police undermine the court’s order allowing the rally? BJP goons beat up our party workers. Is this democracy?” she asked.
Mamata also said that she would go to the court over the matter, said Bengali news reports. The three-time CM also said that thousands of motorcycle-borne goons shouted outside her residence in the morning to intimidate her.
The rally, organised by the TMC’s student and youth wings after securing permission from the high court, started from Ballygunge Phari and passed through parts of south Kolkata before culminating at Hazra Crossing.
Workers of the BJP and the TMC clashed during the march at several points, prompting the police to baton charge to disperse the rival groups.
‘Thief’ slogans raised
BJP workers raised “thief” slogans, allegedly attempted to block the procession by forming human barricades along Hazra Road and staged protests at multiple locations on the route, eyewitnesses said.
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Escalating her attack on the administration, Mamata alleged that instead of implementing the high court’s order, the police had kept her residence under surveillance from the morning and monitored the movement of visitors.
“I am being kept under police watch as if I am under house arrest. Instead of maintaining law and order, they are watching who comes to my house,” she claimed.
Mamata accuses cops of double standard
She also alleged that although the high court had permitted the use of hand microphones during the march, the police confiscated them, while allowing BJP supporters to use DJ music, erect stages and create obstructions along the route.
“They seized our hand mics despite court permission but allowed BJP workers to create disturbances. Women, senior citizens and young workers were assaulted. I myself came out after hearing that our IT cell chairperson had been surrounded and attacked. I saw people bleeding,” the 71-year-old said.
Claiming that the police had ceased to function as an impartial force, the TMC leader alleged that “from police station-level officers to senior officials, they are functioning like BJP office-bearers”.
“The police cannot provide protection to common people and are being used to sabotage our programme,” she alleged.
TMC leader blasts BJP over Ram Temple scandal
In a sharp political attack on the BJP, Mamata alleged that “those who looted donations for the Ram Temple (in Ayodhya) are creating disturbance here in the name of Lord Ram”. “Jai Shri Ram” slogans were chanted when Mamata’s party was taking its protest rally.
Without naming anyone, she also accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of attempting to suppress democratic protests through intimidation.
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“No government can silence the voices of the people or snatch away their democratic rights through fear and torture. This government is relying on anti-social elements with police support,” she said.
The TMC leader claimed that within the past two months several incidents of rape, torture and murder had taken place in different parts of the state and urged the authorities to “restore peace, uphold the rule of law and protect peaceful citizens”.
No eggs in mid-day meals but being used politically
She also accused the government of neglecting public welfare, alleging that eggs had been discontinued under the mid-day meal scheme in schools while state resources were being diverted for political purposes.
The TMC also slammed the incident on its official X account. “Today, BJP-backed hooligans launched a cowardly and brutal attack on our workers. This violent assault is a stark reflection of their cowardice,” it said in its post that also included TV channel footage showing the commotion.
“The voice of democracy cannot be silenced through violence and intimidation. We strongly condemn this reprehensible attack and demand that the police administration immediately arrest those responsible and ensure exemplary punishment.”
(With agency inputs)
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