The Kolkata police have arrested at least 14 people in connection with the alleged violence against police and journalists during Friday’s protest in Esplanade against the NEET paper leak.
The police first registered a suo moto case over the alleged violence and vandalism that broke out at Dorina Crossing in Central Kolkata on Friday afternoon. The charges include unlawful assembly, being armed with deadly weapons, and provocation to breach public peace. At least seven cases have been filed at the Hare Street Police Station in connection with the protest.
“None of them is a student. They are all troublemakers who were present at the CJP rally yesterday and engaged in vandalism,” a police officer said on Saturday, referring to the arrested accused.
However, the police added that the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has clarified via email that none of the arrested men were associated with the group.
The police claimed that two of the accused — Md Azad and Md Afroz — were arrested from the Durgapur Expressway near Andal while allegedly trying to flee West Bengal.
The police said they found out that Afroz allegedly had close links with Metiaburuz MLA Abdul Khaleque Molla of the TMC, while pointing to social media pictures of the accused with the Trinamool leader. The police claimed that Afroz’s social media account has reels where he refers to his group as the “Mafia Team”, adding that he also had other criminal cases registered against him.
Speaking to the media, however, TMC MLA Molla refuted all the allegations. He said, “I am an MLA. So anyone can take pictures with me, but Afroz is not an active TMC member.” Molla is part of the TMC faction led by rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee.
Meanwhile, Kunal Ghosh, MLA from the Mamata-led TMC camp, also distanced their faction from the accused. Speaking to mediapersons on Sunday, Kunal Ghosh said: “The Friday incident… TMC was not a part of it. We (the Mamata faction) held a separate rally on Saturday. Those who were part of the Friday protest rally, they are part of the ‘Good TMC’ and we are not responsible for what they have done. We condemn the violence, but do not link Afroz with us.”
However, as per locals, Afroz had worked for the TMC during the recently concluded Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar also hinted at probing Afroz’s links with the TMC MLA. Speaking to the media on Sunday, he said, “I feel that not only those arrested but the MLA who he is seen with should also be called and questioned in order to investigate whether he had any agenda or role in this.”
The other arrested accused are Irfan Khurshed, Arshad Ali alias Sajid, Md Moinuddin, Md Alamgir alias Raju, Imran Ahmed alias Gopi, Khalid Reja alias Rinku, Zamir Ahmed alias Minku, Mohsin Khan, Dipak Bhowmick alias Vicky, Shabaz Khan, Sk Md Salman Hussain, and Johiruddin Mal. The police said all 14 will be produced in court and that they are looking for others wanted in the case.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday alleged that “Islamic fundamentalists” with possible “foreign backing” perpetrated the alleged violence during Friday’s protest in Kolkata.
Speaking to reporters in Nandigram after attending a programme to mark Kargil Vijay Diwas, Adhikari said: “There is no connection between these people and the movement. They are not students. They are Jamaati (Islamic) fundamentalists. Probe agencies will determine whether foreign forces backed them.”
The violence may have been fuelled by resentment over several decisions of the BJP government in the state, including action against unregistered madrasas, enforcement of cattle slaughter laws and measures to curb noise pollution, the CM alleged.
About the alleged assault on a journalist during the protest, he claimed that media personnel were deliberately targeted and there were “attempts on their lives”.
Maintaining that those behind the alleged violence had no connection with the protest, Adhikari said they would be dealt with under the state’s new anti-goonda law.
According to the FIR, a large number of protesters led by various political parties and student-youth organisations, such as the AIDSO, AIDYO, CPIM(L), DYFI, AISA, PDSF, AFSA, DSF, ISU, APDR, gathered at the Dorina Crossing in Esplanade at around 2 pm on Friday without police permission.
The police alleged that “provocative” speeches delivered during the protest incited the crowd, which then attempted to occupy the busy intersection. Officers announced over loudspeakers that the assembly had been declared unlawful and repeatedly asked protesters to disperse and maintain peace. However, the crowd allegedly refused to comply.
The FIR further alleges that, following instructions from protest leaders, demonstrators hurled water bottles, shoes, sticks, and stones at police personnel, journalists covering the protest, and passers-by. Several journalists and police personnel were injured. Clashes eventually broke out between the protesters and police, which then resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd.
The protest disrupted vehicular movement and normal public life in the area for several hours. The demonstrators dispersed around 7.15 pm on Friday.
The CJP had earlier called off a rally in Kolkata after the police denied it permission. The CJP then joined the SFI-led stir at Esplanade. The Left students’ organisations held the rally from Sealdah to Esplanade in solidarity with a nationwide movement against the alleged irregularities in NEET and other competitive exams. They also protested against the police crackdown on NEET protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
A large contingent of the Rapid Action Force, a combat force of the city police, and central paramilitary forces was deployed at the spot.
Meanwhile, the massive protests that took place across cities have been withdrawn after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, accepting their demand.
— With PTI inputs