The ripples of the attack on JNU students reached Kolkata on Monday as police resorted to baton charge to disperse workers of BJP, SFI, other Left organizations and students of Jadavpur University(JU) . The incident took place in the late evening when three rallies were taken out by BJP, Left Front and Jadavpur University students came face to face at Jadavpur in south Kolkata. Sources in the state administration said four persons were injured in the incident.
“We had no intention baton charging. In case if anyone has been injured I will personally apologise to them,” said Sudeep Sarkar, Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police, South Suburban Division.
At around 7.30 pm two rallies by BJP and Jadavpur University students came face to face. As the situation became tense following the heated exchange of words between the two sides police tried to control the situation by putting up barricades between the two rallies.
Soon after a rally was taken out by the SFI and other Left organisations reached the spot. Seeing that the situation may go out of hand police asked the BJP workers to vacate the spot within five minutes. As the scuffle between BJP workers and police continued a man was seen being chased by students of the Jadavpur University who alleged that the man taunted them by saying that “you raise Pakistani flag.”
However, police quickly separated the two sides. Soon after police resorted to baton charge on BJP workers to disperse them. Even as most of them left the spot, a section of BJP workers refused to leave demanding that the Jadavpur University students and SFI workers should also be removed from the area.
About half an hour after police chased away the BJP workers a heated exchange of words took place between them and the students. The students refused to leave the spot alleging that BJP workers have thrown pieces of burning tires and bricks at them. Soon police baton-charged the students and chased them away.
“ One of our fellow students was hit on the head by police. They also manhandled us,” said a Jadavpur University.
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