| In Short |
| Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj leads a rally demanding CM Mamata Banerjee’s resignation over a doctor’s alleged rape and murder. |
| Over 6,000 police officers deployed; teargas and water cannons used as the protest turned chaotic. |
| Major routes in Kolkata were closed or diverted, causing significant traffic delays. |
| TMC accuses the protest of being a BJP-backed attempt to incite violence. |
| Four student activists were detained by police for allegedly planning violence during the rally. |
| The protest has intensified political tensions in West Bengal, with uncertain future outcomes. |
Tension gripped Kolkata on Tuesday as the Nabanna Abhijan rally demanding resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by an unregistered student group named Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj hit the city streets. The protest came in the issue of the alleged rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. There are also demands from the state government employees to bring parity of DA to match that of the Central government employees through their platform, Sangrami Joutha Mancha.
Unregistered Student Body at the Helm
Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj argues that it is not a political group and organized the rally without proper documenting and mobilization with big political parties, but the rally was in fact a violent one, and instances of fighting with police happened. They already announced the non-permitted march because they are afraid of the possible violence.
The spokesman of the student body, articulate about being peaceful in the assertion of the demand, said that the protestors had three main demands. The three main demands of the rally were justice for the victim, capital punishment for the accused person, and resignation of Mamata Banerjee because she did not stop the incident. Although organizers said that they wanted peace, soon the protest took an ugly turn and some people fought with the police, due to which teargas and water cannons were used.
Massive Police Presence and Traffic Disruptions
The Kolkata Police were ready for chaos and deployed over 6,000 police personnel throughout the city. They put up barricades and greased them so that people could not climb on to them, while drones were also flown to keep a watch on the crowd. All their efforts turned out to be a failure as the chaos reigned supreme and the protesters tried to march towards Nabanna—the state secretariat—creating a massive traffic snarl across the city.
Several key roads, including the Kona Expressway and Foreshore Road, were closely monitored or shut down entirely, bringing a number of daily commuters to an almost crawl. Police issued numerous traffic advisories, appealing for motorists to avoid the roads by taking alternative routes such as the Nibedita Setu.
Allegations of Political Motives
It was projected as a students’ and apolitical movement, but the ruling TMC said that it had been supported by the BJP with an intent to create violence. According to the TMC leadership, it was “a staged attempt to perpetrate disorder and breach law and order in public space.” The TMC also shared videos, whose authenticity has not been independently verified, of protesters supposedly planning to engage in violent acts with the intention of provoking the law enforcement agencies.
The matter got worse when the Leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, declared that four such student activists who were at the rally went missing after midnight. The leader accused the police of detaining the students to foil the protest. The state of West Bengal Police afterwards confirmed the detention of those students for a violent incidence.
Protesters’ Demands and Public Sentiment
It was this brand of violence that showcased a firm resolve among the protesters. People shouted slogans that Mamata Banerjee had to resign in processions and demonstrations. The demonstration also threw light on bigger issues in the state such as the problems with law and order and the treatment meted down towards state workers.
People were holding different sets of feelings regarding the protest—some supported the demand of the students, and others did not like the violence. The incident has now made the political situation in West Bengal further divided and tense between ruling TMC and the parties in opposition.
What Lies Ahead?
When the dust settles, it is not so clear what happens with the protests in West Bengal. Yet, this entire incident that started at RG Kar Medical College has brought the problem into the limelight for the whole world to witness through ‘Nabanna Abhijan’, questioning the larger social and political scenario within the state. What changes this rally would eventually ring or whether it is set to create more mess is something yet to be gauged, but definitely it has hit like a thunderbolt into the politics of Kolkata.
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