PM Modi “excited” to visit Bengal, arrives in Kolkata

Protests were staged in parts of Kolkata as Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in the city a little before 4 pm on Saturday.
Opposition parties and students of universities have been staging protests opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the attacks on students of various academic institutions across the country.
In Kolkata on Saturday, protests were carried out since the morning in various parts of the city including Golpark, Jadavpur, Dharmatala, College Square, Nandan and the airport area among others. Many staged protests outside their universities and drew large graffiti on the streets which said “Go Back” to the PM.
Most of the protests didn’t have flags of political parties. Instead, protesters waved black flags and black balloons as a sign of their protest. The protest outside the airport intensified as the PM landed in airport. Tanmoy Bhattacharya of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged that police had kicked some women protesters from his party while they were protesting outside the airport.
Protesters were seen gathering outside the Kolkata Race Course ground and also on the ramp of Hooghly bridge as the PM landed there. However, the PM reached Raj Bhawan unobstructed as the protest that was supposed to be staged outside the Raj Bhawan did not take place.
Despite being aware that his visit to West Bengal was going to spark protests, the PM took to the Twitter this morning to say that he was “excited” to visit the state.
“I am excited to be in West Bengal today and tomorrow. I am delighted to be spending time at the Ramakrishna Mission and that too when we mark Swami Vivekananda’s Jayanti. There is something special about that place,” his tweet read.
The PM further said, “Yet, there will be a void too! The person who taught me the noble principle of ‘Jan Seva Hi Prabhu Seva’, the venerable Swami Atmasthananda Ji will not be there. It is unimaginable to be at the Ramakrishna Mission and not have his august presence!”

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