Over 6,000 personnel belonging to the Kolkata Police have been deployed in the eastern city today in light of the planned protest march to Nabanna, demanding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation over the R G Kar doctor's rape and murder, India Today reported.
Nabanna is the West Bengal secretariat located in Howrah and a student outfit is leading today's march in the aftermath of the horrific incident that unfurled at the government institute earlier this month.
Three-layered security presence is there around Nabanna, the publication reported. Apart from the Kolkata Police and Howrah City Police, combat forces, Rapid Action Force (RAF), Heavy Radio Flying Squads (HRFS), and Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) are also there, the publication noted.
Water cannons are also reportedly in place to tackle any chaos that might erupt during the 'Nabanna Abhijan' protest organised by the Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj.
There are also barricades at 19 points, with five aluminum barricades installed at key points.
Further, India Today reported that an Additional Commissioner of Police-rank officer is in charge of maintaining law and order. Officers of Joint CP and DCP ranks will be in charge at different points, including Howrah Bridge, Hooghly Bridge, and Hastings, the publication said.
Apart from that, additional forces from different districts have also been brought to Kolkata, with cops choosing to focus on key points like Hastings Street and Shibpur Road, Howrah Bridge and the Howrah maidan.
The Kolkata Police has also reached out to the organiser of 'Nabanna Abhijan' seeking details regarding the number of people expected to attend the rally, the names of the leaders who will be leading the protest marches, and the number of rallies that will be held as well as the route for the same.
The publication has reported that the Kolkata Police received no information from the organisers thus far.
The Mamata Banerjee government, meanwhile, has placed prohibitory orders around Nabanna under Section 163 of the BNSS to prevent the gathering of five or more persons.
In light of the 'Nabanna Abhijan' march, traffic is likely to be impacted at Vidhyasagar Setu and its ramps, Khidderpore Road, DH Road, Taratala Road, Reach Road, Circular Garden, Garden Reach Road, Coal Berth Road, Remount Road, Hide Road, and all other feeder roads connecting these major roads, and western part of Kolkata, including Kolkata Dock and Port System, India Today reported.
The publication added that other places where traffic could be hit are JL Nehru Road, RR Avenue, Red Road, New Road, Dufferin Road, Mayo Road, Outram Road, Hospital Road, Lovers Lane, Queensway, Casuarina Avenue, Cathedral Road, AJC Bose Road, SN Banerjee Road, Old Court House Street, Council House Street, Kingsway, St George's Gate Road, Strand Road, MG Road, Strand Bank Road, KK Tagore Street, Kalakar Street, Brabourne Road and Howrah Bridge.
Restrictions will come into place from today with the rallies expected to begin at 1 pm.
The state police have called the scheduled rallies, support for which has been mainly garnered over social media platforms, as "illegal" and “unauthorized”, and said they have taken necessary precautions to allay apprehensions about potential law and order situations during the march.
Addressing reporters at Nabanna, ADG (Law and Order) Manoj Verma said that police have received credible intelligence suggesting attempts would be made by miscreants to mix among protestors and incite large-scale violence and chaos during the rally.
#WATCH | West Bengal: Security personnel deployed across Kolkata and all Police arrangements in wake of a march to Nabanna, called over RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case.
— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2024
Visuals from Santragachi Barricade in Kolkata. pic.twitter.com/26MfbXD9lX
Two rallies are expected today -- one from College Square in Kolkata and the other from Santragachi in Howrah. It is 10 km from College Square to Nabanna, where cops have reportedly received information of a large gathering about to take place -- prompting special arrangements.
It is around three kilometres from Santragachi to Nabanna.
The rally is being organised by one Prabir Das, an MA student from Rabindra Bharati University, Subhankar Halder, MA BEd of Kalyani University and Sayan Lahiri of Rabindra Mukta University. The students claim to be apolitical.
As per Lahiri, the protest has three demands -- justice for the doctor who met her tragic fate, capital punishment for the culprit, and Mamata's resignation in light of her being the state's health minister and being in charge of the police.
Protesting junior doctors, however, have distanced themselves from this demonstration and have called for a separate rally at Central Kolkata tomorrow.
The protest has already led to a political slugfest, with TMC alleging that Leader of the Opposition in the state Suvendu Adhikari 'had already said that bullets would be fired on August 27'.
BJP, while refuting the allegations of its association with the march, has extended support to the movement.
CPI-M, meanwhile, has backed out, alleging that the march was organised by an 'RSS-backed body'.
A party leader further clarified that Students' Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) -- the student and youth wings of the party -- would not be participating in the 'Nabanna Abhijan' either.
(With PTI inputs)