Protest against demolition drive turns violent in Kolkata’s Park Circus, 3 police personnel injured

Violent protests in Park Circus area of ​​Kolkata (Courtesy: x.com/SudhanidhiB)

New Delhi: Clashes erupted between protesters and police in Kolkata’s minority-dominated Park Circus area on Sunday, injuring at least three police personnel.The protesters were protesting recent bulldozing operations in the city’s Tiljala area, where alleged illegal constructions were demolished on the orders of the state government following a factory fire that killed two people earlier this week.Also read: At Tiljala, Friday prayers after a 6-hour stand-off with PelodarWest Bengal is now ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which came to power in the state for the first time in the recently held assembly elections, ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).The use of bulldozers against alleged criminals, their property and alleged encroachment is a common occurrence in BJP-ruled states.According to police, a large number of people gathered near the Park Circus Seven Points crossing on Sunday afternoon to protest against the anti-encroachment drive and tried to block the road.As security personnel tried to disperse the “illegal assembly”, a section of protesters resorted to stone pelting and created chaos in the area.A number of vehicles parked on the roadside, including a vehicle carrying Central forces, were also vandalized.Additional Commissioner Ashesh Biswas later told reporters that action has already been taken against those involved in the violence.“Some people tried to block the road. It was an illegal gathering. The police were trying to disperse them, and there was stone pelting. Three of our colleagues were injured. We have already arrested a few,” PTI quoted Biswas as saying.He further said, “There has been an attack on the police. We will identify those behind it and arrest all those involved. Strict legal action will be taken.”Police and central forces have been deployed in the area after the clash. Route marches and intensified patrolling were carried out in neighboring areas to prevent further escalation and restore normalcy.However, authorities have not indicated any direct link between the violence in the state capital and Friday’s incident in Rajabazar.Two days ago, tensions erupted in Rajabazar, where a standoff broke out after a group of people tried to offer Friday prayers on a public road despite a ban on traffic blockades.A large group of policemen asked people to vacate the road, after which the situation turned tense for a while.Although there is no official notification, the BJP government has directed the police that prayer congregations should not block roads or cause public inconvenience, except on special occasions.Also read: Devotees go for self-restraint, adhering to government’s new prayer guidelines across Kolkata’s mosquesHowever, local community members argued that organizing Friday prayers on the streets was a long-standing local practice. On the other hand, the administration said that it is necessary to keep the roads clean to maintain traffic and law and order.