Kamaleswar Mukherjee, CPM leaders briefly held while protesting vandalism

Police said Kamaleswar Mukherjee and some CPM leaders were arrested for blocking traffic at a time people were coming on the streets for the Durga Puja

KOLKATA: Noted Bengali film director Kamaleswar Mukherjee was briefly arrested along with eight CPM leaders and workers from Rashbehari Avenue in south Kolkata on Monday evening when they were protesting against alleged vandalism by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers at one of the party’s book stalls on Sunday, police said.

TMC leaders accused the CPM of intentionally creating trouble by putting up the banner close to a community puja pandal.

They were released on bail from the city police headquarters at Lalbazar around 8 pm.

“Mukherjee and some CPM leaders blocked traffic when Durga puja revellers had hit the streets. They were arrested and released on bail,” an officer of the south division of the Kolkata Police said on condition of anonymity.

CPM state secretary Md Salim said the book stall was vandalised because it had a banner that said, “chor dharo, jail bharo” (catch the thief and fill the jails), the party’s slogan after the arrest of Trinamool Congress leaders Partha Chatterjee and Anubrata Mondal by federal agencies.

“The slogan was raised by the protesters on Monday evening and police said they cannot utter those words. The ruling party wants to muzzle the voice of democracy,” he said.

CPM Rajya Sabha member and senior lawyer Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya was also detained at Rashbehari Avenue but not arrested.

Award-winning director Srijit Mukherjee tweeted on Mukherjee’s arrest: “Afraid of books???? Books??? Don’t have enough words of condemnation for the arrest of Dr Kamaleswar Mukherjee. With you, Kamalda, for whatever it is worth”.

TMC leaders accused the CPM of intentionally creating trouble by putting up the banner close to a community puja pandal.

TMC general secretary Kunal Ghosh said: “CPM leaders say they do not practice religion and yet take full advantage of the festive mood every year by putting up book stalls near puja pandals. They had no business spoiling the festive mood by putting up instigating posters.”