Protesters in Kolkata marked the completion of one year since the rape and murder of a trainee doctor inside the RG Kar Hospital — leading a march to the state secretariat. The parents of the victim led the ‘Nabanna Chalo Abhiyan’ alongside BJP MLAs and party workers from the state on Saturday amid heightened security. The agitation, however, took a violent turn with police lathi-charging the protesters after some of them tried to breach barricades put up along the route.
A section of protestors taking part in a march had attempted to breach the iron wall barricades set up by the city police after reaching Santragachi in Howrah district on Saturday. Meanwhile BJP MLAs held a sit-in at the Park Street-J L Nehru Road crossing — alleging that more than 100 protestors were injured in police action.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said several party leaders, as well as the parents of the RG Kar victim, were injured during the lathi charge. The BJP leader had joined the parents of the victim along with 20 BJP MLAs at Dorina crossing in central Kolkata earlier in the day.
‘Mamata Banerjee’s police roughed us up’
“Mamata Banerjee‘s police roughed me up without provocation, broke my bangles…Why are they stopping us? All we want is to reach the secretariat, ask for justice for my daughter,” the victim’s mother said during the protest.
The father of the late doctor also alleged that the police had tried to prevent the family from joining the protest march to Nabanna. He said they had to “dodge police at several points” to join the march — despite having court permission to observe a peaceful rally.
Protesters clash with police
Prohibitory orders were imposed in areas adjoining Nabanna while multi-layer barricades were put up at several crossings in Kolkata and neighbouring Howrah. Officials also confirmed that vehicular moment had been stopped on the on the Howrah Bridge and the Vidyasagar Setu over the Hooghly river. The police had earmarked two locations for peaceful gatherings ‘in line with a Calcutta High Court directive. Massive police deployments, along with RAF personnel and even water cannons, were also made at strategic points to halt the progress of the agitators. the progress of the agitators is to be halted.
Matters however took a violent turn on Saturday afternoon after some of the agitators tried to break through the barricades in their bid to reach the state secretariat. Demonstrators were seen scaling the 10-ft-high barricades as the police issued alerts over loudspeakers and urged protestors to abide by the Calcutta High Court order to maintain law and order. Others were spotted using blunt instruments to break the iron walls and carve openings within them to ensure a crossover.
(With inputs from agencies)