The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced a 12-hour statewide bandh in West Bengal on Wednesday, in response to what it describes as “brutal repression” by the police against participants of the Nabanna Abhijan rally. The rally, which aimed to march to the state secretariat, turned violent as police clashed with protesters, leading the BJP to call for a shutdown from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Suvendu Adhikari condemns police’s actions
Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, strongly condemned the police’s actions, accusing the state administration of resorting to excessive force against peaceful demonstrators. “Police are using water cannons on peaceful protestors at Santragachi, bursting tear gas shells on the students at Howrah Bridge, and lathicharging them at College Street. Please stop these brutalities immediately,” Adhikari urged in a statement to reporters.
Adhikari further warned that if the police continued their alleged repression, the BJP would escalate its response. “If the police repression is not stopped immediately, we (BJP) will stall West Bengal tomorrow,” he asserted.
What happened?
The situation escalated after scores of protestors were reportedly injured during the rally. Adhikari criticized the deployment of over 8,000 Kolkata Police officers to prevent students from peacefully protesting. He described the state of affairs as “alarming” and called out the administration for creating a volatile environment. “An alarming situation has been created by this administration. Scores of protestors have been injured. If the commissioner of police Vineet Goyal and the DGP don’t stop such brutalities, we will not sit idle,” Adhikari declared.
In his remarks, Adhikari also mentioned his intention to visit Howrah station en route to Belur Math, noting that he did not want to break the law. He emphasized the BJP’s support for the Chhatra Samaj movement, an apolitical student-led protest demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her alleged failure to ensure the safety of women in the state. Adhikari clarified that while BJP leaders were not at the forefront of the Chhatra Samaj’s rally, the party stands in solidarity with the students’ demands for justice.
The Chhatra Samaj, which organized the march, has maintained that no political leaders should lead their protest, underscoring the apolitical nature of their movement. Despite this, the BJP’s involvement and the subsequent bandh call reflect the heightened political tensions in West Bengal.
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