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Political blame game continues on Bengal clashes
Clashes erupted on Tuesday when BJP workers attempted to march to Nabanna, the state secretariat, protested against what they said was corruption in the government run by Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers who clashed with the police in Kolkata and Howrah during an agitation on Tuesday were armed with bombs and guns, chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on Wednesday, as cops rounded up 20 people, including some who assaulted officers and set squad vehicles on fire.
Clashes erupted on Tuesday when BJP workers attempted to march to Nabanna, the state secretariat, protested against what they said was corruption in the government run by Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC).
“The police could have opened fire if it wanted to but that is not desirable. They tried their best to control the situation using restricted force. We never stop democratic movements. All people have the right to hold democratic movements but hooliganism cannot be a part of it. Police will take action against those involved in the attacks and arson,” Banerjee said during an administrative meeting in East Midnapore district.
“People were brought in trains from Bihar and other places to create trouble,” Banerjee added.
The BJP leadership denied the allegations even as social media was flooded with photos and videos of policemen being assaulted. In one of these videos, an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) rank officer was being seen assaulted by mobs.
“TMC planned the violence and its workers were planted to carry out the attacks. Our men were not involved. We are fully sympathetic toward the injured police officers who are in hospital. I called up one of them,” said Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar.
Twenty seven police personnel, including some senior officers, were injured. Attempt to murder charges have been filed against unidentified people for serious injuries suffered by some of the officers.
In Delhi, former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said at a press conference that the attacks were carried out to divert people’s attention from cracks in the TMC.
“Are we to understand that this was done to divert attention from the differences developing between two leaders in the TMC? I do not want to take names,” Prasad said, indirectly hinting at Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek, the TMC’s national general secretary.
“If peaceful democratic movements are crushed in this manner then we have to take steps according to the Constitution,” Prasad added.
More than 20 people were arrested from Kolkata and Howrah till Wednesday afternoon in specific cases of assault on police officers and destruction of government property, said officers aware of the investigations.
The police used batons, water cannons, tear gas shells and stun grenades at several locations on Tuesday to disperse BJP workers who were found pelting stones and glass bottles, leaving many men in uniform bleeding.
The clashes, lasting over four hours, took place mainly at Santragachhi in Howrah and Mahatma Gandhi Road, Burrabazar and Brabourne Road in Kolkata.
Abhishek Banerjee visited the SSKM hospital on Wednesday afternoon to see Debjit Chatterjee, an assistant commissioner of Kolkata Police who suffered multiple fractures in his right arm when he was assaulted with sticks while trying to run away from a mob. The incident was caught on camera.
“I hailed the officer for the restraint he showed. I asked him why he did not open fire. Had I been there in his place, I would have shot the culprits in the head,” Abhishek Banerjee said.
Majumdar took a swipe at him for making the statement.
“It seems Abhishek Banerjee asked the police to become trigger happy from now on. We are ready for any eventuality,” Majumdar said.
In another incident, inspector in-charge of Howrah’s Jagachha police station, Satinath Chattaraj, suffered injury in his right eye during stone pelting by BJP workers. He is also in hospital.
The CM said at the administrative meeting that she called up Chattaraj to inquire about his condition.
A third officer in hospital is Sarafraz Ahmed, the additional officer in-charge of Kolkata’s Jorabagan police station.
Senior BJP leader Meena Devi Purohit also suffered head injuries on Tuesday. Cabinet minister and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim visited her at the hospital.
After hearing a petition filed by a BJP worker on Tuesday, the Calcutta high court division bench of chief justice Prakash Shrivastava and justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj ruled that the government has to ensure that “no unnecessary arrest is made and no person is unnecessarily detained.”
“The state authorities will ensure protection of party office of the political party which had organised the rally,” said the order seen by HT, and also asked the home secretary to file a report by September 19.
The petitioner alleged that BJP workers were stopped by the police from boarding buses and trains and forcibly prevented from participating in the agitation.
