KOLKATA: Thousands of Left Front cadres across West Bengal were detained after they broke through barricades across several cities of West Bengal and attempted to storm district administrative complexes on Thursday. They were lathi-charged at several places and detained en masse.
However, most of them were later released. As part of the 'Jail Bharo' and 'Breaking Law' programmes of the Left Front, thousands of Left Front cadres attempted to storm the administrative complexes in Malda, Raiganj, Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Barasat, Purulia, Medinipur and Baharampur towns.
While the Left Front cadres succeeded in breaking through the first tier of barricades in most places, police successfully stalled them when they attempted to break through the second tier of barricades erected at the gates of the administrative complexes.
Police broke the agitation through lathi-charge and detained the Left Front cadres en masse but later released them. In Kolkata, Left Front cadres tried to break barricades at Rani Rashmoni Avenue and march towards Raj Bhavan but were prevented by the police.
On the other hand, six people including Left Front leader in Assembly Sujan Chakraborty were injured after their motorcade was attacked with bombs, lathis and stones near Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district allegedly by Trinamool Congress cadres. "Some 25-30 cars of our motorcade were rained with lathis, stones and bombs near Diamond Harbour. They fled after our boys came out of cars and villagers rushed towards them," Sujan Chakraborty said.
"Police also acted on the behest of the ruling party. While we informed them beforehand of our programme, they raided houses of our leaders yesterday and today they said that our programme was illegal. Our loudspeakers were brought down and flags and posters were torn. Is this an undeclared emergency?," he added.