TNI Bureau: At least 21 people, including a woman, were arrested after violence broke out at the Park Circus seven-point crossing in Kolkata on Sunday, police said.
According to police, the violence erupted during a protest against the BJP government’s stand on the use of bulldozers and an alleged anti-encroachment drive in the Tiljala area. The situation turned violent after protesters allegedly hurled stones and bricks at police personnel, injuring three officers and damaging several police vehicles.
Police said they tried to disperse the crowd, which was raising anti-government slogans, when the clashes intensified. Traffic movement at the busy crossing remained disrupted for nearly an hour between 2 pm and 3 pm following the stone pelting and subsequent lathi-charge.
One person, identified as Mohammad Farhanuddin, was arrested for allegedly circulating a social media poster calling for the protest. Police said the post was widely shared and allegedly helped mobilise the gathering. Raids are underway to identify and arrest others involved in the incident.
Personnel of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and a large police contingent continue to remain deployed in and around the Park Circus area to prevent any further unrest.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday visited the office of Kolkata Police’s South East Division and held a review meeting with Police Commissioner Ajay Nand, senior police officers and central force officials to assess the law and order situation.
Issuing a stern warning to those involved in the violence, Adhikari said, “Stone pelting has stopped in Kashmir and it will be stopped here as well.” He also reiterated that the government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against such incidents.
Reacting to the developments, former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the government over the alleged eviction drives and use of “bulldozer politics” in the state.
In a social media post, Banerjee said that from homes to hawker stalls, the poor were paying the price of “political arrogance.” She said Bengal does not believe in bulldozer politics and added that the land of Tagore and Netaji cannot be governed through fear, force and demolition drives against ordinary citizens.
Referring to the eviction drive around Howrah Station and the unrest in Tiljala and Park Circus, she said daily wage workers, street vendors, small shopkeepers and struggling families were being deprived of their shelter and livelihood.
“A government that demolishes first and listens later has forgotten the very spirit of Bengal. Real progress is measured by how a state treats its weakest citizens, not by how quickly it can erase them,” Banerjee said, adding that bulldozers cannot become the language of governance in a state known for culture, compassion and resistance to oppression.
