While the West Bengal Police and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) warned of possible unrest, the student group Chhatra Samaj insisted that their Nabanna Abhijan rally tomorrow, August 27 will be nonviolent and centred on calling for the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the arrest of those accountable for the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
"The claims made by the TMC and police are baseless. We aim to raise our demands peacefully,” said Chhatra Samaj spokesperson Sayan Lahiri, while addressing a press conference in Kolkata, according to PTI.
“If we are stopped, we will attempt to proceed to the state secretariat, Nabanna, gate in a non-violent manner to demand the CM's resignation due to her failure to prevent incidents like the RG Kar case, which has shocked the nation,” Lahiri added.
Lahiri clarified that an apolitical organisation without ties to the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is organising the rallies, which would begin at noon from College Square, Fort William, and Santragachhi and go towards Nabanna.
"We have informed police about the rally via email and discussed it with senior officers multiple times. The allegations that our rally is illegal are untrue,” he stated.
When quizzed about the expected turnout, Lahiri admitted, "Since the movement was organised through a social media campaign, we cannot provide an exact estimate. However, we have urged everyone to maintain peace.”
Police referred to the planned rally as "illegal" earlier in the day and stated that they had taken the appropriate safety precautions because they were worried about possible disruptions to law and order during the march.
Manoj Verma, the Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) and Additional Director General for West Bengal told reporters that no group or person has asked permission to stage a protest like this at the state secretariat, which is a restricted area.
