Violence mars Left Front rally

Kolkata: The Left Front’s protest rally — “March to Nabanna” — turned violent on Monday as the Left workers and police personnel clashed with each other in rounds, leaving more than a 100, including many women and cops, injured during the major Communist programme targeting the state Secretariat. More than a dozen journalists were injured after they were assaulted by the police. Also, 182 rallyists were arrested by the police.

Eleven Left peasant organisations had called the rally to protest the anti-farmer measures by the Trinamul Congress government.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose, CPI(M) state secretary Surjyakanta Mishra, CPI(M) MP Mohammed Salim and several other senior leaders participated in the rally. They described the police action “unprovoked”.

This was the second such rally after the one in August of 2015 to Nabanna, which had witnessed violence too. This time, places like Mayo Road, Dufferin Road, Red Road and Hastings in heart of the city virtually turned into a warzone in the afternoon as the Left workers first attacked police personnel by pelting stones on them. They also broke barricades at various points to move ahead.  

Outnumbered, the police lobbed teargas shells at the demonstrators and baton-charged them. Some medical camps opened by the Left were allegedly vandalised by the police. But the Left workers were in no mood to go on the backfoot. Although senior police officers were on the field, situation went out of their control fast. Soon, the rapid action force personnel were deployed.

Both sides continued to fight a pitched battle bringing traffic in and around Esplanade to a grinding halt. Vehicular movements on Vidyasagar Setu became standstill.

Common people were left in the lurch amidst soaring temperature. The scene on the other side of the Hooghly at Shibpur in Howrah, where Nabanna is located, was as much volatile as it was on the Kolkata side.

The police used water cannons to disperse the violent rallyists at Santragachhi. Another round of clash took place on Foreshore Road. Earlier, Mr Chakraborty, the Left Legislature Party leader, went to Nabanna along with other Left MLAs in a car and tried to storm the building through its North Gate. The police personnel stopped and detained them.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is in Birbhum, reportedly expressed her displeasure over the Left MLAs’ attempt. Director general of police Surajit Kar Purkayastha, who was at Nabanna, called deputy commissioner of police (reserve force) Bishwajit Ghosh, posted for the state secretariat’s security, to know how it happened.

Condemning the police action on the Left workers, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, “More than 250 workers were injured. Among them, 100 suffered deep injuries. Our protest will continue till the state government apologises and takes action on those police officers who were involved.”

The CPI(M) general secretary also demanded a probe into the role of the male cops who assaulted the female Left workers.

Claiming the rally’s success, Dr Mishra declared that the Left would observe a statewide protest on Tuesday. But Trinamul secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, “The CPI(M) signboard is now in crisis. So they now eye Nabanna. They are neither with the people nor serve them. In this scorching summer, the chief minister is holding meetings for development in the districts. But they are trying for their survival. It is nothing but a drama.”

In the evening additional commissioner of police (headquarters) Supratim Sarkar informed that more than 100 rallyists and 69 cops were injured in the clashes.

He added that 182 rallyists, including 45 women, were arrested by the police.

Mr Sarkar, however, drew flak from the media over the cops’ attacks on the journalists. BJP leader Rahul Sinha demanded a judicial probe into the cops’ assault on mediapersons.