KOLKATA: At least three police personnel were injured and several vehicles damaged after a protest against the recent bulldozer action in Kolkata’s Tiljala turned violent in the minority-dominated Park Circus area on Sunday, with demonstrators allegedly pelting stones at security forces.
The violence comes days after bulldozers were deployed in Tiljala as part of the West Bengal government’s demolition drive against alleged illegal constructions following a factory fire earlier this week that claimed two lives.
According to police, a large number of people gathered near Park Circus Seven Point Crossing on Sunday afternoon to protest against the anti-encroachment drive and attempted to block roads.
Police said that while they were trying to disperse the “unlawful assembly”, a section of the protesters allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, leading to chaos in the area.
Several vehicles parked along the roadside, including those belonging to central forces, were vandalised during the unrest, officials said.
Following the clashes, heavy deployment of Kolkata Police and central forces was made in the area. Route marches and intensified patrolling were also carried out in nearby localities to prevent further escalation and restore normalcy.
Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner Ashesh Biswas said action had already been initiated 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 pelting of stones. Three of our colleagues were injured,” Biswas told reporters.
“We have already arrested a few people,” he added.
Biswas said police followed standard operating procedures and efforts were underway to identify all those involved in the violence.
“There was an attack on the police. We will identify those behind it and arrest everyone involved. Strict legal action will be taken,” he said.
While police maintained that the protest was linked to administrative action against illegal constructions, some local residents claimed that grievances over alleged restrictions on the use of loudspeakers during religious prayers and curbs on offering prayers on roads had also contributed to the tensions.
The developments come close on the heels of tension in Kolkata’s Rajabazar area on Friday, where a standoff reportedly broke out after a group of people allegedly attempted to offer prayers on a public road despite restrictions on blocking traffic.
According to police sources, a large contingent of personnel reached the area and asked people to vacate the road, following which the situation briefly turned tense.
Members of the local community said offering Friday prayers on roads had been a long-standing practice in the area, while the administration maintained that roads must remain clear for traffic movement and maintenance of law and order.
Police, however, said there was no direct connection established between the Rajabazar incident and Sunday’s violence in Park Circus.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the exact number of people arrested in Sunday’s clashes or whether any protesters were injured during the confrontation.
(With inputs from PTI)
