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The streets of Kolkata were engulfed in a tense standoff on Tuesday, as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of protesters demanding the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The demonstration, organized by the Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj, sought to hold Banerjee accountable for the alleged failure to ensure the safety of women in the state, specifically citing the recent rape and murder of a doctor. The protesters, defying a government ban on the march, attempted to reach the state secretariat, Nabanna, but were met with a forceful response from law enforcement.
As the protesters, armed with placards and slogans, breached police barricades, they were met with a barrage of water cannons, first deployed on the Howrah Bridge. The situation escalated when the agitators responded by throwing stones at the police, prompting authorities to unleash tear gas shells. The violence left several police officers injured, including one who was beaten with sticks and another who suffered head injuries from the stone-throwing. Despite the escalating situation, police authorities maintained their stance against the protest, deeming it illegal and linking the organizers to a political party, though without specifying which one.
The Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj vehemently denied any political affiliation, with its leader, Sayan Lahiri, explicitly admitting his membership in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while asserting the protest's non-partisan nature. This claim was further corroborated by the participation of prominent BJP figures, including former Lok Sabha member Arjun Singh, who joined the march, declaring his intention to go “as far as possible.” The BJP's state chief, Sukanta Majumdar, also publicly expressed his support for the protest.
The ruling Trinamool Congress, however, alleged that the march was orchestrated by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP's ideological parent organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The government, citing the disruption it would cause to university examinations scheduled for the same day, had preemptively denied permission for the march, labeling it an illegal gathering and highlighting its potential to block roads and disrupt the city's flow. Furthermore, the authorities claimed to have video evidence of a Chhatra Samaj convenor secretly meeting with a political leader 48 hours before the protest, suggesting a coordinated attempt to disrupt public order.
Source: Police use tear gas, water cannons to stop march to Bengal secretariat