The CPI(M)-affiliated Students Federation of India (SFI) took out a rally here on Thursday, protesting alleged midnight lathi-charge by the police on successful SSC candidates, who were staging a sit-in demanding immediate recruitment to state-run schools.
A senior officer of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, however, said no one was lathi-charged, and the demonstrators, who were staging the protest near the education department headquarters, simply left the venue after being asked to do so.
Members of the SFI from various city colleges assembled near Presidency University in College Street area, condemning the "assault" on hundreds of School Service Commission (SSC) candidates by the police.
"We condemn the attack on candidates waiting for recruitment to upper primary schools. There were brutally lathicharged. Even the women were not spared. This is an attack on democracy by the TMC government," Debnil Paul, an SFI leader of the Presidency University, said.
Around 100 SSC candidates, awaiting appointments for a long time had been holding protests outside Bikash Bhavan since Tuesday.
A delegation on Wednesday met Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who cited pending cases in court over SSC appointments as a reason for the delay.
Once the court issues an order, the government will act in a prompt manner, he said.
A spokesman for the agitating SSC candidates said, "We were evicted from the protest venue, next to Bikash Bhavan and right in front of Anandalok Hospital. We were protesting peacefully but lathi-wielding policemen drove us away. We will again resume our stir soon, this time more fiercely."
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