Mamata accuses BJP of disrupting TMC protest rally, says police acting as saffron party's 'arm'

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the BJP of disrupting her party's protest march over the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Baruipur, alleging that the police had acted as an "arm" of the saffron party instead of enforcing the Calcutta High Court's order permitting the rally. Addressing a gathering at Hazra Crossing in south Kolkata after the culmination of the march, Banerjee alleged that BJP supporters repeatedly obstructed the rally, assaulted TMC workers, including women, and that the police failed to ensure the peaceful conduct of the programme despite the court's directions. "The high court allowed our rally, but BJP goons stopped it. How can the police undermine the court's order allowing the rally? BJP goons beat up our party workers. Is this democracy?" she said. The rally, organised by the TMC's student and youth wings after securing permission from the Calcutta High Court, started from Ballygunge Phari and passed through parts of south Kolkata before culminating at Hazra Crossing. Workers of the BJP and the TMC clashed during the march at several points, prompting the police to baton charge to disperse the rival groups. BJP workers raised "thief" slogans, allegedly attempted to block the procession by forming human barricades along Hazra Road and staged protests at multiple locations on the route, eyewitnesses said.

Escalating her attack on the administration, Banerjee alleged that instead of implementing the high court's order, the police had kept her residence under surveillance from the morning and monitored the movement of visitors. "I am being kept under police watch as if I am under house arrest. Instead of maintaining law and order, they are watching who comes to my house," she claimed. Banerjee alleged that although the high court had permitted the use of hand microphones during the march, the police confiscated them, while allowing BJP supporters to use DJ music, erect stages and create obstructions along the route. "They seized our hand mics despite court permission, but allowed BJP workers to create disturbances. Women, senior citizens and young workers were assaulted. I myself came out after hearing that our IT cell chairperson had been surrounded and attacked. I saw people bleeding," Banerjee said. Claiming that the police had ceased to function as an impartial force, Banerjee alleged that "from police station-level officers to senior officials, they are functioning like BJP office-bearers".

"The police cannot provide protection to common people and are being used to sabotage our programme," she alleged. The TMC chief said the alleged failure to implement the high court's order amounted to contempt of court and announced that her party would initiate legal proceedings against those responsible. "We respected the high court's directions and obtained permission before holding the rally. If the police themselves violate the court's order, serious questions arise about the rule of law. We will move contempt proceedings," she said. In a sharp political attack on the BJP, Banerjee alleged that "those who looted donations for the Ram Temple (in Ayodhya) are creating disturbance here in the name of Lord Ram." Without naming anyone, she also accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of attempting to suppress democratic protests through intimidation. "No government can silence the voices of the people or snatch away their democratic rights through fear and torture. This government is relying on anti-social elements with police support," she alleged.

Banerjee claimed that within the past two months several incidents of rape, torture and murder had taken place in different parts of the state and urged the authorities to "restore peace, uphold the rule of law and protect peaceful citizens." She also accused the government of neglecting public welfare, alleging that eggs had been discontinued under the mid-day meal scheme in schools while state resources were being diverted for political purposes. The BJP did not immediately respond to Banerjee's allegations. In Baruipur, the body of the girl, who had gone missing on July 4, was recovered from a pond in the Surjyapur Haat area the next day. Locals alleged that the minor was raped and murdered before her body was dumped in a sack. Prabhas Mondal, one of the prime accused in the rape and murder of the Baruipur minor, was killed in an alleged encounter early on Wednesday after he "snatched a firearm from a policeman and tried to escape from custody" during a crime scene reconstruction exercise, police said. Another absconding accused, Kabir Molla, was arrested on Wednesday, taking the total number of arrests in the rape-murder case to four. Besides Mondal, Anand Sardar and Dibakar Sardar had earlier been booked.