Kolkata Police, ISF Members Injured In Violent Clash Amid Protest. MLA Among 100 Party Supporters Arrested

The ISF was protesting against alleged attacks on party activists by the ruling TMC. ISF MLA Nawshad Siddiqui, who was leading the protest, and around 100 supporters of the party were arrested. 

A policeman fires teargas shells during clashes with ISF members following their rally, in Kolkata, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Indian Secular Front (ISF) protest at the Esplanade area in central Kolkata turned violent on Saturday afternoon during which both the police personnel and opposition activist were injured. ISF MLA Nawshad Siddiqui, who was leading the protest, and around 100 supporters of the party were arrested. The ISF was protesting at Dorina Crossing against alleged attacks on party activists by the ruling Trinamool Congress at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district.

According to news agency PTI, the protest threw traffic out of gear as activists blocked an arterial road in the heart of the city, prompting the cops to ask them to clear Jawaharlal Nehru Road and allow traffic movement.

However, the activists refused to budge demanding that the perpetrators behind the attacks on its activists at Bhangar be arrested first. The protestors began pelting stones at the cops who used batons and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse them.

"They were adamant and hit one of our officers following an altercation. Our officers intervened and it was when the party workers started throwing stones at our officers. We had to use tear gas to disperse them," Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal said, as quoted by PTI.

In the clash, at least 19 policemen were injured including police officers. 

“They are being treated for their injuries. While some are admitted at SSKM Hospital, a few are in Calcutta Medical College," Goyal said after visiting the injured policemen at SSKM Hospital, PTI reported.

Meanwhile, the number of ISF activists injured is not known. 

Around 500 demonstrators retreated as the police baton-charged the workers and lobbed tear gas shells, however, they continued pelt to stones at the cops from nearby lanes. 

The protestors also damaged kiosks and guardrails of the police injuring several policemen, PTI reported. 

Though the police managed to clear the road after about an hour and chased away the protestors stray incidents of stone pelting continued for some time.

The commuters who were hiding in shops with the shutters down came out raising their hands. 

ISF MLA Nawshad Siddiqui was initially detained and was later arrested. At least 100 ISF activists were also arrested while they were returning to Bhangar after attending the meeting. Siddiqui, before his detention, deplored police “inaction” at Bhangar and the “high-handedness” of the force in Esplanade by turning on "peaceful protestors".

On Friday, ISF party offices were burnt down in Bhangar allegedly by TMC workers. The ruling party in turn claimed that the ISF destabilised the situation in the area by bringing in armed men and attacking their supporters for the past few days.

ISF is the only opposition party other than BJP to have won a seat in the 2021 West Bengal assembly election. Its allies, the CPI(M)-led Left Front and the Congress failed to bag any seat.

The party was formed by Abbas Siddiqui, an influential Muslim cleric of Furfura Sharif in Hooghly district, in February of that year.