After the eviction and arrest of the protesting Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) candidates yesterday at midnight, near the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) office, protests by opposition political parties broke out in different places in the city condemning the police action today. With Section 144 in place near the WBBPE office at Salt Lake, the police moved in swiftly to evict the protestors from the spot at night. On 21st October , the Left student activists of DYFI and SFI began a sit-in at the same spot but a posse of policemen soon swooped down on them too and began eviction.
The DYFI leader Minakshi Mukherjee said the police are acting like flag bearers of the ruling party (Trinamul Congress) and demanded to know the exact area that is under Section 144. Minakshi said the police could not take away the right to protest. “Police are scared of students, who have been demanding their rights to employment. Is protesting illegal in West Bengal? We are being heckled by the police but we won’t give up.” However, a clash soon ensued and Left activists were dragged into police vans. Some policemen were also heckled by the protestors in the course of the scuffle.
The activists’ alleged assault against the police personnel from the Bidhannagar thana. Left workers began agitation outside the North Bidhanagar PS, demanding the release of their party workers. CPM central committee member Sujan Chakraborty alleged that the state government is using police according to its whim and fancy. “This shows the insecurity the incumbent government is suffering from as voices are raised for justice and against corruption.” He requested all to join the protest tomorrow by eminent personalities condemning police action on the candidates. Film director and actress Aparna Sen tweeted condemning the police action on a peaceful protest by candidates.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury led a rally criticising police action. “This is an insensitive state government which does not care and has no feelings. It believes in mistreating students and saving corrupt leaders like Anubrata Mondal. Students have merit and yet are deprived of jobs due to corruption. The police action was barbaric” he said. Teachers’ association reacts Meanwhile, a strong reaction came from the university teachers’ organisation on today’s incident. Members of the All Bengal University Teachers’ Association condemned the ‘event of atrocities by the police’ on the agitators. “The way the police pulled the hunger-stricken protestors into the police van, tortured the ailing women, was beyond any civic norm,” alleged the ABUTA members.