Nabanna Abhiyan Rally: On Tuesday (27 August), students had called for a protest march to the state secretariat i.e. ‘Nabanna Bhavan’ in the Kolkata rape-murder case. During this protest march, clashes were seen between the protesting students and police personnel.
The clash between the police and the protesters took place during the Nabanna Abhijan rally when they tried to break the barricades to march towards the West Bengal Secretariat. The aim of the protesters was to reach the Secretariat and demand the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Kolkata incident case.
Nabanna becomes a cantonment, police lathicharge, BJP announces bandh
- The Nabanna Abhijan Rally in Kolkata on Tuesday (August 27) was organised by a new student organisation called Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj, which was protesting against the Kolkata rape and murder case. They were supported by members of the Sangrami Jautha Manch, who are state government employees and are demanding that their dearness allowance (DA) be made equal to that of central government employees.
- The West Bengal police had declared the planned ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ rallies as “illegal” and “unauthorised”. Despite this, the rally went on.
- Police used tear gas and lathicharge to disperse BJP leaders and supporters who were marching towards Lalbazar, the Kolkata police headquarters, demanding the release of students arrested during the Nabanna Abhijan rally.
- In this context, West Bengal Governor C.V. Anand Bose urged the state government to respect peaceful student protests and avoid suppressing them. Along with this, he cited the Supreme Court’s stance on democratic freedom.
- BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said, “We are forced to call for a general strike, from morning to evening, because this autocratic regime is turning a deaf ear to the voice of the people, demanding justice for the deceased doctor sister. Instead of justice, Mamata Banerjee’s police is attacking the peace-loving people of the state, who only want a safe environment for women.
- During this, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar, who was leading the march, fell ill due to tear gas and had to leave the spot.
- Opposition leader Shubhendu Adhikari said, “The police committed unimaginable atrocities on the students who were marching peacefully in Nabanna during the day. If Mamata Banerjee’s police treat peaceful democratic protesters like this, we will bring the entire state to a standstill tomorrow.
- Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra criticised the Nabanna Abhijan protest march, calling the protesters “hooligans” who provoked the police response.
- Police have arrested more than 200 people in connection with the rally. Clashes broke out at MG Road, Hastings Road, Prinsep Ghat, Santragachi and Howrah Maidan in which several protesters and 29 policemen were injured.
- According to Kolkata Police sources, 126 members and supporters of the West Bengal Students’ Union, one of the organisers of the rally, were arrested. Of these, 33 are women. Police resorted to lathicharge and used water cannon and tear gas to disperse the protesters.
