Army called in to control protests in Kolkata; curfew may be imposed
The army will stage a flag march in Kolkata after protests over the Nandigram issue turned violent, Kolkata Commissioner of Police Gautam Mohan Chakraborty said.
The state government has sought six army columns. While Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has called a high level meeting, top police officials were coordinating with the army, Home Secretary P R Roy said. The government is contemplating imposing curfew in some areas of Kolkata at night, he said. Activists of the All India Minority Forum clashed with the police, pelted stones and set buses ablaze. The police had to use batons and teargas to disperse the activists. Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Jawed Shamim was injured when the police tried to lift the blockade on the arterial AJC Bose Road.
Rapid Action Force personnel swung into action after the police failed to control the mob, hundreds of whom pelted stones and empty glass bottles from lanes and bylanes. The protestors also ransacked the Communist Party of India-Marxist's office. After a baton-charge failed to restore order, teargas shells were lobbed at the agitators, the police said. There were major traffic snarls in the southern and central areas of the city during the morning rush hour.
The AIMF and the Furfurasharif Muzadeddia Anath Foundation, which called for paralysing the state for three hours from 9 am, resorted to road blocks in some other districts including Howrah, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. West Bengal Inspector-General of Police (law and order) Raj Kanojia said most of the blockades have been lifted without using force, but two in neighbouring Howrah district were still on.
Train services were not affected anywhere in the state, Kanojia said. Forum president Idris Ali claimed outsiders infiltrated the ranks and unleashed violence. Ali said the blockade was also called to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and the cancellation of the visa of Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.
He claimed Nasreen had made comments about Islam, which were blasphemous and sought immediate deportation of the writer.
Article source: www.rediff.comThe state government has sought six army columns. While Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has called a high level meeting, top police officials were coordinating with the army, Home Secretary P R Roy said. The government is contemplating imposing curfew in some areas of Kolkata at night, he said. Activists of the All India Minority Forum clashed with the police, pelted stones and set buses ablaze. The police had to use batons and teargas to disperse the activists. Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Jawed Shamim was injured when the police tried to lift the blockade on the arterial AJC Bose Road.
Rapid Action Force personnel swung into action after the police failed to control the mob, hundreds of whom pelted stones and empty glass bottles from lanes and bylanes. The protestors also ransacked the Communist Party of India-Marxist's office. After a baton-charge failed to restore order, teargas shells were lobbed at the agitators, the police said. There were major traffic snarls in the southern and central areas of the city during the morning rush hour.
The AIMF and the Furfurasharif Muzadeddia Anath Foundation, which called for paralysing the state for three hours from 9 am, resorted to road blocks in some other districts including Howrah, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. West Bengal Inspector-General of Police (law and order) Raj Kanojia said most of the blockades have been lifted without using force, but two in neighbouring Howrah district were still on.
Train services were not affected anywhere in the state, Kanojia said. Forum president Idris Ali claimed outsiders infiltrated the ranks and unleashed violence. Ali said the blockade was also called to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and the cancellation of the visa of Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.
He claimed Nasreen had made comments about Islam, which were blasphemous and sought immediate deportation of the writer.
Labels: AIMF, Kolkata Commissioner, Nandigram issue
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