KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday alleged that Islamic fundamentalists, possibly backed by foreign forces, were behind the violence during Friday’s protest rally organised by Left student unions with the support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against the NEET paper leak at Esplanade in Kolkata.
Speaking to reporters in Nandigram in East Midnapore district after attending a programme to mark Kargil Vijay Diwas, the chief minister said, “There is no connection between these people and the movement. They are not students. They are Jamaati (Islamic) fundamentalists. Probe agencies will determine whether foreign forces backed them.”
“Genuine protestors against the NEET paper leak are not involved in the violence that triggered attacks on policemen and media persons during the protest rally. Denying their involvement in the incident, they have already condemned the attack on reporters and given statements on social media platforms. The Left joined the protest programme called by the CJP and some Islamic fundamentalist groups taking advantage of the situation perpetrated the violence,” Suvendu told reporters.
Citing previous incidents of attacks on reporters during municipal and panchayat elections in 2022 and 2023, respectively, as well as during the protest movement over the rape and murder of a woman doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in 2024 under the Trinamool Congress regime in the state, he alleged that reporters had been attacked several times but no action was taken by the previous government.
“We rushed to the SSKM Hospital where the reporters were admitted after being attacked during Friday’s protest rally and with our (government) assurance they lodged FIRs with police stations. Fourteen persons involved in the violence have been arrested after verifying video footage of the incident,” he added.
He also alleged that the protestors had disrespected the Indian tricolour by holding it upside down, kicked photographs of the Prime Minister and chief minister, and raised anti-national slogans during the programme.
Justice would be delivered to them under the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026, also referred to as the ‘anti-goonda law’, he added.
Violence broke out between Left-backed protestors and police personnel during the demonstration on Friday, prompting security forces to baton-charge, use water cannons and fire teargas shells to disperse the agitators.
The state invoked its newly enacted anti-goonda law against those accused of orchestrating violence during Friday’s NEET protest, with Adhikari warning that they would face punishment “their next three generations will remember”.
The violence may have been fuelled by resentment over several decisions of the BJP government in the state, including action against unregistered madrassas, implementation of court directions relating to OBC certificates, enforcement of cattle slaughter laws and measures to curb noise pollution, he said.
Seventy people have been identified as the alleged troublemakers involved in attacks on police personnel and media persons at Esplanade Dorina Crossing, where thousands of students and common people had gathered after a protest march from Sealdah station, around 2 km away from the site of violence on Friday.
While addressing the Assembly on Saturday, the chief minister said the state government had implemented the ‘anti-goonda law’ for the first time since the Bill was passed in the House recently.
“The miscreants involved in the incident will be given strict punishment so that their three generations can keep it in their memory,” Suvendu said while expressing displeasure over the alleged attacks on police and media persons at Esplanade.
“Police were repeatedly provoked by the agitators but they were restrained. Everybody has seen how shoes and bottles were hurled at police. The protestors wanted police to resort to lathicharge so that the ‘drama’ could continue but police did not allow them to take the opportunity,” he said in the House.
“Seventy people have been identified but no one of them is a student or CJP member. These people have no link with the NEET movement,” he added.
The CJP on Saturday called off its 36-day agitation after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government accepted its other demands.
Meanwhile, three more persons were arrested on Sunday in connection with the violence during Friday’s NEET protest in Kolkata, taking the total number of apprehended people to 14, police said.
The fresh arrests were made after investigators identified the accused through CCTV footage and video recordings from the protest site, following which raids were conducted at multiple locations, a senior officer said.
The three arrested persons were identified as Shahbaz Khan (34), a resident of the Karaya Police Station area, Mohammad Salman Hussain of the Rajabagan locality, and Mohammad Zohiruddin Mal of Bijoyganj in South 24 Parganas district, he said.
Seven FIRs have been registered in connection with the incident, six at Hare Street Police Station and one at Entally Police Station, the officer said, adding that provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and other relevant sections have also been invoked.
One of the persons named as a key accused, Mohammad Afroz from the Rajabagan area in Metiabruz, was arrested on Saturday as part of the ongoing investigation, the officer said.
Afroz has links with the Trinamool Congress, the Bengal BJP claimed.