Drones, water cannons, tear gas shells kept ready: West Bengal govt pulls out all stops to foil today’s Nabanna march as cops fear violence | Kolkata News – Times of India

KOLKATA: Bengal govt on Monday pulled out all stops to foil Tuesday’s march to Nabanna – the state govt headquarters that houses the CM’s office – organised by Chhatra Samaj, an amorphous outfit born on social media a few days ago. Govt called the proposed march “illegal” and said it had intelligence inputs that it was backed by “vested interests using miscreants to foment trouble”.
Police received applications from Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj and Sangrami Joutha Mancha on Monday afternoon but rejected them because of the UGC-NET examinations on Tuesday and BNSS 163 was in place around Nabanna (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita clause 163, formerly Section 144).The organisers were told to choose another day and “a non-restricted venue” where protests could be allowed.
Chhatra Samaj said it was not going to bow out despite “immense pressure from the state”. Speaking to the media, organisers of the outfit accepted their “past”, as well as “present” association with ABVP and RSS but added that Tuesday’s march would be held without any political banner.

One of the members, Subhankar Haldar, admitted he had “32 criminal cases” against him, “including molestation” and had been to jail thrice, but added it was the price he was paying for fighting TMC. He said he was a “proud member of RSS”.
Another organiser, Sayon Lahiri, was with TMC Chhatra Parishd before taking charge of ABVP, Jadavpur zone. A teacher, he is now a member of BJP’s Jadavpur unit. BJP said it won’t be part of the march but would support any movement seeking justice for the RG Kar doctor.
The police statements — issued in two media briefings on Monday — came after two videos surfaced in which some Ghatal-based BJP functionaries were heard saying “bodies must fall” during Tuesday’s protests. “The stir cannot gain any momentum without any (dead) body,” one of the speakers is heard saying in the videos shared by Trinamool and its MPs and ministers on their Xhandles. Ghatal cops arrested three local BJP functionaries seen in the videos: Kharar Municipality councillor Bablu Ganguly, mandal president Biplab Mal and local BJP worker Soumen Chatterjee.
Officials said they were not taking any chance with Nabanna security or law-and-order on the streets. The Nabanna-Mandirtala premise will have a 2,100-person multi-layer security, with the two final layers comprising Rapid Action Force, Eastern Frontier Rifles and combat force personnel. More than 4,500 personnel will be on the streets in Kolkata and Howrah.
ADG (law and order) Manoj Kumar Verma requested the public “not to fall in the trap of anti-social elements” and “avoid being part of an illegal programme”. Additional director-general of police (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar added that cops had video footage showing a Chhatra Samaj functionary going to a five-star hotel at 11.25am on Sunday to meet a senior politician. “We know who he met. We are collecting (more) information. All evidence will be produced in court,” Sarkar said, adding: “Every individual has the right to move freely but it is a strange coincidence that he met a politician on Sunday at a hotel after announcing the agitation programme.”