Left rally protests misuse of police in West Bengal

Four days after a CPI(M)-Trinamool clash in North 24 Parganas district

Alleging that the Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal was misusing the police administration for its own political ends, supporters of the Left parties took to the streets in large numbers in the north-eastern fringe of the city on Saturday in protest.

Four days after a clash occurred between supporters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Trinamool Congress in the Rajarhat area of the State's North 24 Parganas district, supporters of the Left parties marched in a procession led by Biman Bose, State secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and party's district secretary Gautam Deb.

Sea of red flags

The party leaders led the procession from an open vehicle surrounded by a sea of red flags. Scores of supporters walked for hours as the procession wound its way through the streets.

The party claimed that the incident, involving Trinamool MLA Sabyasachi Datta in which a CPI(M) supporter was shot at allegedly from the firearm of a bodyguard of the MLA, was staged to malign the chairman of the Rajarhat Gopalpur Municipality, Tapas Chatterjee. The CPI(M) continues to have a strong presence in the area and the incident is believed to be a part of an ongoing turf war.

The service revolver of the MLA's bodyguard was recovered from a drain by the police on Friday, three days after the violence, raising questions of whether or not it had been planted there.

Mr. Deb has pointed out that the police had not managed to find the weapon for four days despite several policemen being deployed at the spot. He also said that the weapon was recovered without the help of forensic experts.

‘Hegemony'

Claiming that the Trinamool-led government is establishing the “hegemony of a single party” instead of ushering in democracy, the protesters shouted slogans against the “terror” that has been unleashed across the State. The Left Front claims that 58 party workers and supporters have been killed in political clashes since the results of the Assembly elections were announced in May last year.