Left Front to observe Condemnation Day in Bengal

The Left Front will observe a state-wide condemnation day on Tuesday in protest against the "police atrocities" against their activists who participated in Monday's "March to Nabanna" protest programme.

"We strongly condemn the police provocation and attack on our party workers who took part in today's peaceful rally. Many of them got severely injured as police resorted to baton and tear gas shelling mercilessly," Left Front Chairman Biman Bose said.

Terming the Left Front's march to the state secretariat Nabanna a "peaceful rally", Bose accused police of provoking their party activists.

"The 'March to Nabanna' was supposed to a peaceful rally where we would try to penetrate police barricade, and if we were stopped, we would hold a sit in protest. The situation went out of hand due to police provocation."

Addressing the media on Mayo Road, which resembled a war zone after pitched battles between the police and Left activists, Bose alleged that even reporters and camera persons of the print and electronic media were not spared by the security personnel.

"This clearly shows the administration does not want the chain of incidents to be telecast or reported in the media. They are ruining the basics of a democratic structure."

Responding to a query about police personnel getting injured, the veteran Left leader claimed that police took to violence and acted as agent provocateurs first.

"If police did not throw stones at our activists then they would not have been injured. They resorted to stone pelting first and some of our people paid them back in the same coin," he said.

Denouncing the role of police during the rally, CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Misra said such measures show West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was scared of the protests.

"This clearly shows that the Chief Minister is scared. She is thinking that the protests can be stopped in this way. But the protest will not be limited to some city roads, it would be undertaken throughout the state," he said.

Misra claimed the police action took place under the Chief Minister's instruction even though she was not in town.

"Everything is happening under her instruction and leadership. She has gone to Santiniketan (in Birbhum district) in pursuit of 'santi' (peace). But there will be no peace for her till the people's sufferings are over," he added.

--IANS

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