Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, claimed today, Tuesday, August 27, that police used "brutal repression" on peaceful attendees of the Nabanna Abhijan march. He also threatened to stop the functioning of West Bengal if the "brutalities" by the state administration continued.
"Police are using water cannons on peaceful protestors at Santragachi, burst tear gas shells on the students at Howrah Bridge, lathi-charged them at College Street. Please stop these brutalities immediately," the senior BJP leader told reporters, according to PTI.
Adhikari added, "If the police repression is not stopped immediately, we (Bharatiya Janta Party) will stall West Bengal tomorrow.
"An alarming situation has been created by this administration. Scores of protestors have been injured. If the commissioner of police Vineet Goyal and the DGP don't stop such brutalities, we will not sit idle,” the BJP leader threatened.
He informed the press that he was going to the Belur Math through the Howrah station to avoid breaking the law.
Further, Adhikari disclosed that the Chhatra Samaj movement asked the party not to be at the forefront of the demonstration, thus they are not joining their movement. Despite this, he added, the BJP is “with them”.
According to Adhikari, the Kolkata Police had sent out around 8,000 officers to stop the non-violent students from demonstrating for justice on the streets.
No leader of the BJP or any other political party will lead the march, said the organisers of the rally, which is an apolitical protest demanding the removal of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her purported inability to protect women's safety in light of the rape and murder of the female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
