CPI-M to move rights panel over baton charge on Left activists

Slamming the West Bengal government over the police baton charge on Left Front activists during a march in the city, the CPI-M on Friday said it will seek the human rights panel's intervention in the matter.

Several people including political leaders and policemen were injured after the march to the city police headquarters called by the Left Front on Thursday turned violent, leading to pitched battles between party cadres and the security personnel.

"There is a need to probe the matter and we will move the human rights commission both at the national and state levels. This is not acceptable, police cannot take such measures unless they are asked politically to do so," said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

Charging the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government with breaking the laws, the Marxist leader said such intimidating tactics will only bolster the Left's democratic movement.

"Women police personnel were not present ... male police committing such atrocities, assaulting women, such things are completely unlawful and unacceptable. The custodians of law in West Bengal are breaking the law.

"If they think through terror and intimidation, democratic movements can be stalled, they are mistaken. In fact such attacks will only bolster the movement," added Yechury.

Meanwhile, the Congress too lent solidarity over the attack and lambasted police for being servants of their political masters.

"We strongly condemn the brutal baton charge by the police on Left Front workers where even women were not spared. Ironically when their own people get killed, police don't show such dare," said state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

"If police were not biased, if they do not act as servants of the ruling party, then such a movement would never be required," he added.

Meanwhile, former Supreme Court judge and state rights panel chief A.K. Ganguly attacked police for initiating non bailable charges including attempt to murder against three Left activists over Thursday's incident.

"People have a democratic right to undertake such movement but initiating charges of attempt to murder is unacceptable. How can such a charge be brought against them... this is possible only because there is no rule of law in this state," he said.