Bengal para-teachers attempt to barge into assembly to meet CM Mamata Bannerjee

Dozens of protesting para teachers, all of them women, tried to barge inside the West Bengal Legislative Assembly in Kolkata on Wednesday morning ahead of the two-day special assembly session.

Police had a tough time placating and controlling the protestors, who climbed the huge iron gates of the assembly and tried to enter the compound. They demanded to meet chief minister Mamata Banerjee and sat on the road, blocking gate 6 of the assembly, usually used by the MLAs.

“We have been demanding (this) over the past four years. We only got assurances. The chief minister is meeting every organization and their demands. But our demand of equal pay and pension, among others, has not been met so far. We urge the CM to meet the demands ahead of the assembly polls,” said one of the para-teachers.

A senior police officer said that they had no prior information about the attempted invasion and hence there were hardly any women police deployed near the gate. Later, female police constables were deployed to disperse the protestors.

Senior police officers rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. Lady police constables could be seen dragging the protesting para teachers towards the police van. The face-off continued till reports last came in.

“We just wanted to meet Didi (Mamata Banerjee) to place our demands. The government has been going to every doorstep with its campaign Duare Sarkar (government at doorsteps) ahead of the elections. Today we have come to Didi’s door with our problems,” said Gita Biswas, a para teacher from Nadia district, adding that they have more than 20 demands.

Earlier on January 11, the protestors had tried to march towards Nabanna, the state secretariat, leading to a scuffle with the police. A divisional commissioner of police was injured on that day.

A two-day special assembly session is scheduled to start on Wednesday. A resolution against the three contentious farm laws, passed by the centre, is likely to be introduced in the special session.