Students participating in a protest march in Kolkata on Monday evening were lathicharged by the police, leading to anger and outrage.
On Sunday evening, goons had entered Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University covering their faces and went on a rampage inside the campus and led an attack that left 22 students and teachers were injured. A shocking video shows how people covering their faces and armed with lathis and iron rods went on a rampage.
Students and ordinary citizens without any political affiliation have been leading peaceful rallies and protest meetings across the country to protest Sunday’s horrific incident in Delhi. Such a rally was being held in Kolkata on Monday evening, that included a large number of students. There was another rally that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had taken out in Kolkata in the same area, but it was coming from the opposite direction.
Around 7.30 pm, the students’ rally and the BJP rally had come close to the Sulekha More on Raja SC Mullick Road from opposite directions, and police tried to separate the two groups. According to some students present at the rally, police lathicharged at them. Many female students said that they were hit by lathis on their legs by male cops. Some students added that those who were part of the BJP rally had thrown stones at the students, but the cops, instead of taking action against those present in the BJP rally, had targeted the students.
Sudip Sarkar, deputy commissioner, who was in charge of the area on Monday evening, said that “police had no intention of using lathicharge on the students.” Sarkar said that there was “some confusion”, as policemen were trying to push the BJP supporters back, but in the melee some students may have been hit. “If students have been hurt due to the police, I personally apologise,” Sarkar told reporters.
Kolkata Police also tweeted on its official Twitter handle that they were “making all efforts to cooperate with students & law abiding citizens to maintain peace. Senior officers are in the Jadavpur area to help you. In case of any assistance or complaints please contact us immediately. Kolkata Police is with you, now and always.”
[Cover image of protest march in Kolkata on Sunday evening, picture by Smita Khator]
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