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TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh was arrested. (Photo: IANS)
Kolkata: TMC leader and MLA Mr Kunal Ghosh was arrested on Saturday as protests organisers of the ‘Kalighat Trinamool’ were trying to march against the alleged NEET question paper leak. The problems started when Kolkata police stopped their protest march as the Calcutta High Court had denied permission to the rally. The protest on CIT road in central Kolkata was violently evicted by the police on a lathi- charge.
The order to stop the rally was passed by the Calcutta High Court against the protest organised by Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the student wing of the TMC. The court said West Bengal was already witnessing large student protests and if another political rally were to be permitted, then the law and order situation could worsen.
TMC leaders and supporters had assembled at Padmapukur crossing and attempted to march. However, police repeatedly asked the protestors to disperse, saying the rally was not legal. Police later lathi-charged the protestors when the organisers of the rally didn't disperse. The protesters were 14 in number, including Mr Ghosh, former Kolkata councillor Mr Baiswanor Chattopadhyay and several TMCP activists. All were released on bail.
Kunal Ghosh is a prominent Trinamool Congress leader, journalist who entered politics and is one of the most recognisable TMC spokesperson. Before joining politics, Ghosh worked as a journalist, television anchor and editor, and has been a prominent face in West Bengal.
He joined the TMC later and was a Rajya Sabha MP from 2012 to 2015 and has become a seasoned speaker for the party in this time and continues to be associated with its political campaigns and protests.
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He is an outspoken political activist and is still very much a prominent face in Bengal politics, and is himself a current TMC MLA.
The Trinamool Congress said that the Kolkata Police had permitted the march earlier and later withdrew permission. The parties went to the Calcutta High Court asking for urgent relief and the plea was denied.
Police said that the gathering went ahead without permission and it was violating the court order, when the arrests were made and temporary traffic seizure took place on CIT Road.
The protesting party leaders were arrested and Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee flew to see the protest, and criticised the police for this action. The CM was accompanied by Rajya Sabha MPs Dola Sen and Derek O'Brien, and they said that democratic rights were being taken away.
"We cannot allow our democratic voice to be silenced like this. People are seeing everything. We are going to have a peaceful programme, and why will the police not allow it?" Banerjee said.
She also said the party's legal team was working to secure the release of Ghosh and the other detained leaders. Meanwhile, Kolkata Police launched overnight raids in connection with the protest-related violence and registered multiple FIRs as part of the investigation.
