SFI members block Kolkata roads to protest against attacks on minorities in Bangladesh

Kolkata: Members of SFI's Presidency University unit on Tuesday blocked roads in Kolkata for a brief period to protest against attacks on minorities in Bangladesh and other parts of the world.

CPI(M)'s student wing leader Bitan Islam said around 100 students assembled on the university campus and participated in a rally at the College Street-M G Road crossing where they blocked the busy thoroughfare in the northern part of the city for 20 minutes.

The demonstration disrupted the movement of vehicular traffic in the area.

The protestors burnt effigies of Bangladesh interim government's chief adviser Muhammad Yunus and Jamaat-e-Islami leader of Bangladesh Shafiqur Rahman.

The protesters said they were always on the side of persecuted minorities in different countries "whether they happen to be Hindus in Bangladesh or Muslims in many parts of BJP-ruled India".

Claiming that attempts were being made to sow seeds of polarisation in the state and in the country, SFI leader Bitan said, "Some parties are dividing people along religious identities. Everyone should work towards building harmony, and peace among different communities." "While we demand the Bangladesh government work towards saving the country against Islamist fundamentalism, we observe, at the same time, how the right-wing forces in India are discriminating against the minority community members," the student leader claimed.