Kolkata: In protest against the unrest that unfolded during the Left’s movement in Kolkata on July 24, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers on Monday took to the streets with national flags in two big rallies. One procession moved from Sealdah to Esplanade in central Kolkata, while the other went from Golpark to Jadavpur in south Kolkata.
The procession from Sealdah began after 3:30 p.m. with the national flag. State Minister Tapas Roy, BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh, party leaders Shankudev Panda, Tamoghna Ghosh and several workers were present.
They said that anarchy and anti-national slogans would not be tolerated in the name of the NEET-UG paper leak movement and those who spread violence would be punished. Sajal Ghosh alleged that CPI(M), Congress and Trinamool Congress had set up the troublemakers who created unrest on July 24. Demands for strict punishment of those arrested were also raised, with slogans shouted in retaliation for disrespecting the Prime Minister.
Tapas Roy said there was an attempt to spread violence and divide the country by indoctrinating students. He added that the police and media were being targeted, recalling that question papers were leaked 53 times during the Congress regime.
“It is time that people should boycott those who want to create anarchy,” he remarked.
On Friday afternoon, in protest of the NEET question paper leak scandal and demanding the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, SFI and various Leftist student organisations took out a procession from Sealdah to Esplanade. After the procession reached there, bottles and shoes were thrown at the police. The police retaliated with batons. Several journalists on duty were harassed, with allegations of harassment of female journalists also surfacing.
On Friday evening, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited SSKM Hospital to meet journalists and photojournalists undergoing treatment.
He assured legal action after leaving the hospital, promising to identify those involved in the attack on the media.
As announced by the Chief Minister, the police have been active since Saturday. Arrests have begun in connection with the harassment of journalists and unrest. Sixteen people have already been arrested, according to Kolkata Police sources, with more arrests expected.
(IANS)
