KOLKATA: Protestors against the amended Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) hurled bombs at the police on Tuesday injuring an IPS officer and two other police personnel at Sankrail, near Howrah on Tuesday.DCP (headquarters), Howrah, Ajit Singh and two other policemen received splinter injuries when they tried to get a blockade lifted.
The incident took place even as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who led a TMC protest march against NRC and CAA, appealed for cessation of violence.
Police said the incident took place when a group of protesters blocked a local road for over three hours and a contingent of police personnel was attacked.
“We lobbed tear gas shells and used baton charges to disperse the mob. Suddenly, the group started hurling bombs,’’ said an officer.
The police, meanwhile, raided trouble spots and arrested 354 persons, including a leader of the AIMIM in Malda even as rail tracks and highways were blockaded.
The CM held a meeting with the DGP and Kolkata police commissioner and asked them to step up surveillance.
Meanwhile, leading a TMC protest-march against CAA, the CM accused the Centre of suspending railway services in large parts of the state.
The rally started from Jadavpur and passed through the areas dotted with colonies which were set up during the Left Front regime for the refugees from Bangladesh.
Referring to PM Narendra Modi’s speech in Jharkhand, where he had said that the protesters could be identified by their clothes, Mamata hit out saying, “Miscreants and commoners cannot be differentiated on the basis of attire or food habits,’’ while asking people to organise a mass movement against CAA.
She claimed 30 persons committed suicide in Bengal because of NRC fear.
“More than 13 lakh Hindus were left out of NRC in Assam... Now they are trying to divide Bengalis on the line of religion.’’
Train services hit
Train services in South 24-Parganas were affected after protesters threw banana leaves on the overhead wires. Long distance trains from New Jalpaiguri to Sealdah and Howrah were suspended throughout the day
"The country is burning and they are talking about clothes.... Miscreants and commoners cannot be differentiated on the basis of attire or food habits. Clothes do not determine a person’s political view
Mamata Banerjee," West Bengal CM