Heavy police deployment intercepted a protest rally organised by the Trinamool Congress student wing — which former chief minister Mamata Banerjee was deemed likely to lead, but did not — at Rajabazar here on Tuesday afternoon.
The police stopped the rally before it could start, obeying chief minister Suvendu Adhikari’s explicit directives.
Led by Mamata loyalists Kunal Ghosh, Dola Sen and Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, the rally aimed to demand the removal of Gyanesh Kumar as the chief election commissioner and protest Mamata’s detention in New Delhi during an Opposition demonstration against Kumar over alleged widespread irregularities in the special intensive revision (SIR) of poll rolls.
The rally was supposed to start at Rajbazar and end at Park Circus, but police barricades halted the procession metres from its starting point. Pushed back at Rajabazar, the Mamata loyalists staged a sit-in at the blockade site.
The administrative crackdown followed Suvendu’s instructions issued during a Puja inauguration on Park Street on Monday. Jeering at Mamata, the chief minister said he directed the police administration to nip the march in the bud, authorising the deployment of central forces if necessary.
“I have instructed the police commissioner not to let it move even a step from Rajabazar,” he had declared. “I will tell the police, they will end it where it starts. I have also asked the central forces to be deployed if necessary. I will not let it pass. I will not let any chaos happen during Durga Puja.”
Taking a direct jab at Mamata’s route selection — the stretch includes some of Calcutta’s oldest Muslim neighbourhoods — Suvendu added she “chose a very good location” for her proposed march.
Kolkata Police commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand confirmed at the Lalbazar police headquarters on Tuesday that the organisers had not obtained regulatory clearance or followed established protocol.
“Which rally? We don’t have any information regarding any rally... no official intimation,” he said to questions from journalists.
Emphasising that administrative machinery cannot operate based on informal publicity, Nand added: “I can’t make a decision by seeing a poster.”
“Our system is that if there is a rally, organisers have to apply in writing for permission. There is a procedure,” he said, noting that unannounced rallies risk causing severe gridlock. “They should discuss this with the law enforcement authority.”
After this, it became increasingly clear that Mamata would not participate in the programme. There were rumours of her conducting a Facebook live session to issue a statement, but she did not.
Addressing party workers at Rajabazar, Beleghata MLA Ghosh accused the administration of resorting to intimidation.
“The state government and central forces have been threatening (us) since last night and the police have been deployed to create an atmosphere of fear.... (But) we did not give in to provocation,” he said. “This is our victory.”
Rajya Sabha member Sen criticised the recurring denial of permissions, pointing out that the party was repeatedly forced to seek judicial intervention.
“Water cannons and central forces are being deployed to stop a small procession of students and youths,” she said, claiming the festival was used as an excuse to suppress their voices.