Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that a rally held by her party’s youth wing in south Kolkata with permission from the Calcutta High Court was attacked by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers “who harassed several women” and left “at least 25 people with bleeding head injuries”.
“BJP members assaulted our youth and student leaders in front of the police despite having permission from the court. The women were assaulted in their private parts with rods, sticks, bricks and other things which I cannot mention due to shame. I feel appalled that the police allowed this,” Banerjee said in a Facebook live video.
However, TMC has yet to release any photos or videos of the alleged attacks.
“We will file a contempt case in the Supreme Court. There is complete chaos in Bengal. The rally protested against rapes, serial attacks on women, eviction of hawkers and other issues. But the police allowed BJP members to stage a motorcycle rally outside my house in the morning and play loud music on loudspeakers at eight locations on our rally route,” Banerjee said.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court allowed the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC to hold a protest march against the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur, overturning the police decision not to allow it.
However, a bench of Justice Saujata Bhattacharya ordered that the rally should start from Ballygunge Vari, move along Hazrat Road and end at the four-point Hazrat intersection. TMC had originally planned to end the rally in the Lansdowne market.
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The court also changed the timings from 3pm to 6pm to 2.30pm to 4.30pm in view of rush hour traffic during weekdays.
Banerjee said she did not join the march out of respect for the court’s directions. “If I had been there, the crowd would have swelled,” she said.
Police and Central Armed Paramilitary Force (CAPF) units accompanied the TMC march when it began at 3 pm. When some people tried to block her path, this led to tensions between them and the TMC workers. Several CAPF personnel used batons to chase them.
Kolkata Police is yet to make any statement regarding Banerjee’s allegations.
BJP Bengal spokesperson Debjit Sarkar told HT that Banerjee was free to file complaints and move the Supreme Court if she identified those who allegedly attacked TMC workers.
“Unlike the previous government, the BJP government is hellbent on establishing rule of law. If what it claims actually happens, the government will not spare anyone. But why tag the BJP? After the TMC’s defeat in the elections, its disgruntled workers have turned against those who have ruled the roost over the years. This incident also seems to be a result of this dissent,” Sarkar said.
