Mamata likens Left rally violence to 'hellish rampage'

A day after violence at a farmers' rally organised by the Left parties, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday urged the ruling Trinamool Congress student leaders to ensure such "hellish episodes of rampage" weren't repeated.

"It is the responsibility of the student community to ensure that hellish rampage like yesterday (Thursday) is not repeated," Banerjee said in her address to members of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad on its foundation day.

A farmers' rally called by the opposition Left Front and other Left organisations here on Thursday turned violent, with protesters and police engaging in pitched battles and stone-pelting. A number of leaders, workers and policemen were injured.

Police claimed 25-30 of their personnel sustained injuries due to brickbats thrown by the protesters.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo, on the other hand, claimed 200 leaders and workers were injured when they were "brutally assaulted" by the police.

Leader of the Opposition and CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra and Left Front chairman and veteran Marxist leader Biman Bose were caught in the melee and claimed they were hit by bricks as agitators and police engaged in pitched battles.

Banerjee blamed the Left for fomenting tension and questioned their way of doing politics.

"Those rejected by the people, those who follow archaic politics are trying to create tension. Four people and 40 bricks... is this what comrades call politics," she asked.