Protests by students against the amended Citizenship Act rocked Kolkata on Saturday as thousands of university goers hit the streets and marched towards state BJP headquarters demanding its roll back.
A scuffle broke out between the police and the students when a section of the protesters tried to break through the police barricades and head towards the party office. The situation was, however, quickly brought under control by the police.
The youth Congress activists Saturday afternoon organized a march to Raj Bhavan to protest against the amended Citizenship Act.
Apart from the demonstrations, rallies and counter rallies in protest and in support of the amended Act, the situation in West Bengal was peaceful as no incident of violence was reported in the state.
Students from Jadavpur University, Calcutta University, Aliah University, Presidency University and the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, organised a march from Shahid Minar Maidan to Mahjati Sadan in central Kolkata, a stone throw distance from State BJP headquarters, during the day.
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They carried placards which read 'Scrap NRC, CAA', 'Don't divide people', 'We won't allow fascism to rule in India' and shouted slogans against the saffron camp.
Despite heavy police deployment and large scale security arrangements, a section of protesters managed to break through the barricades near the state BJP headquarters off the arterial Central Avenue and shouted slogans against the saffron camp.
BJP workers came out of the party office with sticks in hand and started shouting slogans.
However, the situation was immediately brought under control by the police.
Later on the protesters organized a sit in demonstration at central avenue.
Reacting to the development, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, said "If anyone makes the mistake of heading towards our party office, they should bring stretchers with them as they will not be able to walk back and will have to go to the hospital."
The party organized several rallies in various parts of the state in support of the CAA and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the amended Citizenship Act.
Although a few trains were cancelled by the Eastern Railway, services from Kolkata to north Bengal and Assam was largely resumed on Saturday with the restoration of the services of 22 trains, which were cancelled since last week, officials said.
"The restoration work is on on a war footing. We are hopeful of resuming more train services in days to come," a senior railway official said.
Senior police officers in various parts of the state held meetings with community leaders seeking their help to maintain peace.
Vigil has been stepped up in several parts of the state, especially in bordering districts to prevent any untoward incident, the police said.
The state government on Thursday had given its nod to resume internet services in Howrah district, besides in Baruipur and Canning subdivisions of South 24 Parganas district.
The decision to restore internet services fully in Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur districts and Basirhat and Barasat subdivisions of North 24 Parganas district would be taken later, officials said.
West Bengal had witnessed violent protests against the amended citizenship law since December 13. Several railway stations were ransacked and vehicles and trains vandalised over the past few days. Over 600 people have been arrested.
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