Kolkata, Sep 6, 2024
Tension broke out in different pockets of West Bengal on Friday afternoon following the ‘Chakka Jam’ protest by the state BJP condemning the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata last month.
Traffic was thrown totally out of gear at several pockets in the state following the protest by the Bengal BJP’s workers and supporters.
In certain places like Behala on the southern outskirts of Kolkata and West Burdwan district the BJP cadres and supporters demonstrated by blocking roads and burning tyres.
At some places tension broke out following scuffles between policemen and the BJP workers and supporters.
The impact of the ‘Chakka Jam’ protests was specially felt in pockets of North Bengal where the BJP has a substantial organisational network.
The BJP workers blocked the Asian Highway-II at Bagdogra and Matigara in Darjeeling district as part of the protest and demanded that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee resign taking moral responsibility for the failure of the Kolkata Police in handling the initial investigation in the rape and murder case.
Meanwhile, tension broke out in Kolkata-adjacent Howrah district as well, after the activists of the students’ and youth wings of the CPI(M) started organising demonstrations there.
As the protesters started marching towards the district health office, the police stopped them from doing so.
This led to a massive scuffle between the cops and the protesters.
The police even raised barricades to stop the demonstration, which the protesters tried to break through.
Thereafter the demonstrators sat on the road and started protesting, which disrupted the traffic movement there.(Agency)
