Protest against demolition drive turns violent in Kolkata's Park Circus, 3 police personnel injured

NEW DELHI: A clash erupted between demonstrators and police in Kolkata’s minority-dominated Park Circus area on Sunday, injuring at least three police personnel.

The demonstrators were protesting the recent bulldozer action in the city’s Tiljala area, where alleged illegal constructions were demolished on the state government’s orders following a factory fire that killed two people earlier this week.





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West Bengal is now governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which came to power in the state for the first time by ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the recently held assembly elections.

The use of bulldozers against alleged criminals, their properties, and alleged encroachments has been common in BJP-run states.

According to police, a large number of people gathered near Park Circus Seven Point Crossing on Sunday afternoon to protest against the anti-encroachment drive and attempted to block roads.

As security personnel tried to disperse the “unlawful assembly”, a section of the protesters allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, triggering chaos in the area.

Several vehicles parked along the roadside, including those carrying central forces, were also vandalised.

Additional commissioner Ashesh Biswas later told reporters that action had already been initiated against those involved in the violence.



“Some people tried to block the road. It was an illegal gathering. The police were trying to disperse them, and there was stone-pelting. Three of our colleagues were injured. We have already arrested a few people,” PTI quoted Biswas as saying.

“There was an attack on the police. We will identify those behind it and arrest everyone involved. Strict legal action will be taken,” he added.

Heavy deployment of police and central forces was made in the area after the clashes. Route marches and intensified patrolling were undertaken in adjoining localities to prevent further escalation and restore normalcy.

However, authorities did not indicate any direct connection between the violence and Friday's Rajabazar incident in the state capital.

Two days ago, tensions had surfaced in Rajabazar, where a standoff broke out after a group of people allegedly attempted to offer Friday prayers on a public road despite restrictions on blocking traffic.

A large contingent of police personnel asked people to vacate the road, after which the situation briefly turned tense.

Although there is no formal notification, the BJP government has reportedly directed police to ensure that prayer congregations do not block roads or cause inconvenience to the public, except on special occasions.

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However, members of the local community argued that holding Friday prayers on roads had been a long-standing practice in the locality. The administration, on the other hand, maintained that roads needed to remain clear for traffic movement and the maintenance of law and order.