Kolkata: Kolkata witnessed political protests on Saturday over the gang rape of a 24-year-old student at South Calcutta Law College. Both Congress Student Council and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly criticized the state government and police.
Supporters of Congress Student Council staged a protest outside Kasba Police Station. They demanded a judicial inquiry and accused the West Bengal government of trying to suppress the matter. The protestors also raised concerns over the rising incidents of crimes against women in the state.
At the same time, BJP workers led by state president Sukanta Majumdar held a demonstration at Gariahat crossing. The protest began around noon and soon brought traffic to a halt in the busy area. BJP leaders shouted slogans and attempted to cross police barricades, leading to a clash with the police.
When police tried to stop Majumdar and other leaders like Jagannath Chatterjee and Anupam Bhattacharya, a heated argument broke out. Majumdar questioned why they were being stopped when Section 144 (ban on gatherings) was not in place. Police responded that they had no permission for the protest and had broken barricades, which could lead to arrest.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police formed a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case. The SIT is being led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Pradeep Ghoshal and has been directed to quickly collect strong evidence and ensure justice.
