Kolkata: The enthusiasm of students of West Bengal who were scheduled to attend their schools after one year from February 12 got spoilt as the Left Front and the Congress called for a 12-hour strike following the lathi-charge of the Kolkata Police over the members of the Left Front student wing during their march to the West Bengal secretariat.
Notably, Kolkata turned into a battlefield as the police resorted to lathi charge on the Left Front student wing during their march towards West Bengal secretariat.
Demanding employment and industrialization, 10 student union wings of the Left Front on Thursday held their protest rally towards Nabanna, but the congregation was stopped at the Esplanade area of Central Kolkata. When the student wings tried to break open the barricades, not just lathi, the police were also seen firing tear gas and water cannons leaving several CPI(M) cadres injured.
West Bengal: 12-hour strike called by Left-Congress alliance over police 'violence’ | FPJ Correspondent
Several students were admitted to SSKM and Kolkata Medical College hospitals.
Talking to Free Press Journal, Aditi Sinha Roy of SFI said that the police had manhandled the women students and tried to disrupt the rally intentionally.
“Several exams are due for years. Many students' futures are uncertain and despite passing exams most of us are jobless. So we are holding a protest towards the Nabanna to place our deputation. The police suddenly became aggressive and first fired tear gas,” mentioned the student who sustained a leg injury.
A section of protesting students were also seen chanting anti-state government slogans in front of the North gate of the state secretariat and were arrested.
Slamming the police, senior Left Front leader and politburo member Sujan Chakraborty said that the police is just behaving like ‘puppet’ of the ruling Trinamool Congress and unnecessarily resorted to violence over the students.
“The students have every right to protest. The police don’t have the right to stop them. The ruling Trinamool Congress is taking away the freedom from everyone for which we will hold a 12 hours strike on February 12,” mentioned Chakraborty.
However, according to the police, they had to resort to lathi charge as the student wings not just tried to break the barricades but also pelted stones on them.
