Kolkata: Following a major stand-off between police and agitating teaching and non-teaching staff on Thursday night leading to injuries to several protestors, ADG South Bengal Supratim Sarkar mentioned that at least 19 people got injured during the clash and also that they were forced to apply mild force to evacuate government staff stuck inside Bikash Bhawan.
Addressing a press conference, Sarkar said that the police had been extremely ‘patient’ throughout the day and had maintained every protocol.
“The police had been patient for seven hours while the protestors were agitating. They had locked the government employees inside the building. Many of the employees were aged, some had ailing parents, little children at their home. They wanted to go home and to evacuate them and to stop the protestors, the police had used minimum force. 19 police personnel have been injured in the clash,” said Sarkar.
“Suo motu cases against the whole scheme of things that has happened since yesterday. Breaking of government properties and capture of someone else’s premises are not legal,” said ADG Law and Order Javed Shamim.
Notably, the Bidhannagar (North) police station had slapped several non-bailable sections of BNS against the protestors.
Countering the claims of ADG South Bengal Supratim Sarkar, leader of jobless teaching and non-teaching staff, Chinmoy Mondal said, “If this is minimal force that led to severe injuries to several people then what will be their maximal force? Taking away the lives of the protestors? Why isn’t the Chief Minister responding to our pleadings?”
Rajat Haldar, a protesting teacher who had sustained eye injury said that police were not wearing uniform, who had attacked him and he had to take three stitches on his eyes and will have to visit an eye specialist.
