Thousands joined a protest march on Tuesday demanding the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee amid furore over the rape and murder of a Kolkata doctor. Members of the ruling TMC however insisted that the Nabanna Abhiyan was a “BJP-engineered fiasco” to destabilise the state.
“Make no mistake, this isn't a protest for justice, it's chaos orchestrated by BJP – hired goons running amok, smashing barricades and attacking on-duty police officers. This is a deliberate plot to incite unrest and destabilise Bengal!” read an X post on the TMC handle.
“The brutal truth about ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’? It’s a BJP-engineered fiasco designed to exploit tragedy for political gain. BJP's goons, who admitted to creating unrest with ‘dead bodies,’ are now attacking on-duty police officers. This isn’t a protest; it’s ANARCHY!” added MLA and actor Bratya Basu.
Visuals shared by the party
The Trinamool Congress also released videos that purportedly show BJP leaders from Ghatal in Paschim Medinipur district planning to provoke violence. The individuals shown in the videos have since been detained for questioning.
The agitation came a day after Supratim Sarkar — the Additional Commissioner of Police Kolkata — said they have rejected an application by the ‘Paschimbanga Chhatro Samaj’ for such an event. He added that the police rejected their application because the group did not seek formal permission and provided insufficient details. The state police have termed the rally "illegal" and "unauthorized," citing concerns over potential violence and public disorder.
The unregistered student group however opted to move ahead with its rally on Tuesday. The protest is also helmed by the Sangrami Joutha Mancha — which represents state government employees who are advocating for their Dearness Allowance to be aligned with that of Central government employees.
Governor CV Ananda Bose had urged the state government to refrain from using force to prevent the rally, advocating for the students' right to protest.
(With inputs from agencies)
