Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 8 (ANI): Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh on Wednesday accused the BJP of attacking a rally organised by its youth and student wings in Kolkata, alleging that the violence took place despite permission granted by the Calcutta High Court. He also claimed that police failed to intervene during the clashes.
He claimed that while TMC workers were stopped from using microphones, BJP supporters were allowed to play loud music and even take out a motorcycle rally towards Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence without police intervention.
“Defying the High Court’s order, the BJP attacked our permitted rally; such things cannot happen in a democracy. The High Court had granted permission for our youth and student wing’s rally. We were being told since morning that we couldn’t set up mics, yet BJP was playing songs on loudspeakers in our path, and the police did nothing. A bike rally was taken out targeting Mamata Banerjee’s house,” Ghosh told reporters.
He said 41 injured workers were taken to SSKM Hospital for treatment
“TMC’s youth and students were holding rallies in some areas, but some people barged in there and attacked them. 41 people had to be sent to SSKM Hospital for treatment… This uncivilised violence, where women were surrounded, has revived memories of July 21, 1993 in Kolkata… Our people were unarmed and had gone to protest in a democratic manner, yet they were beaten while the police remained silent spectators; eggs were thrown at them, and they were hit with helmets. Our leader, Mamata Banerjee, has condemned this. Which faction is the ‘real’ TMC is certified in the government gazette,” Ghosh said.
Meanwhile, party MP Kalyan Banerjee also accused the BJP of violating the Calcutta High Court’s order and alleged that the police failed to prevent violence.
“Such incidents of violence have never been seen before in West Bengal, the kind of vengeful politics that has been happening since Suvendu Adhikari became the Chief Minister. Our youth and student organisations had taken out a rally with permission from the High Court,” he said.
“But the way in which, since morning, 300 BJP members carried out a bike rally without helmets and used abusive language against Mamata Banerjee, this has never happened. These people are criminals; they played songs at full blast on DJs throughout the route from Kalighat to Ballygunge. BJP members beat up our people, including women, during the rally, and the police allowed all of this to happen. This is completely wrong. They violated the court order, and the police failed to maintain law and order,” Kalyan added.
West Bengal Minister Bishal Lama said BJP government has zero tolerance for crimes against women.
“For many years, the level of crimes against women was absolutely intolerable, but the previous government was such that their own representatives caused even more chaos. The previous government was more eager to protect its own thugs. The previous government was not working on women’s safety or anti-hooliganism policies. Under the leadership of Suvendu Adhikari, our government has zero tolerance towards this,” he said. (ANI)
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