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 Monday applications seeking permission for the march but rejected them because of UGC-NET examinations on Tuesday and as BNSS 163 (formerly Sec 144 CrPC) was in place around Nabanna.
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.
Police issued two statements on Monday 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 TMC and its MPs and ministers on their X handles. Ghatal cops arrested three local BJP functionaries seen in the videos.
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.
Police received Monday applications seeking permission for the march but rejected them because of UGC-NET examinations on Tuesday and as BNSS 163 (formerly Sec 144 CrPC) was in place around Nabanna.
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.
Police issued two statements on Monday 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 TMC and its MPs and ministers on their X handles. Ghatal cops arrested three local BJP functionaries seen in the videos.
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.
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