At least hundred people including left Front leaders, their cadre and policemen were injured, some of them grievously, following exchange of brickbats and lathi-charge after the Marxists tried to break barricades erected by the police at various points to stop thousands of left workers from marching towards the State secretariat Nabanna in Kolkata in support of their 18-point demand, including employment, procurement price for paddy, cessation of violence etc.
Sources said 60 left supporters and 30 policemen were being treated for their injuries at SSKM and Medical College Hospitals while CPI(M) State secretary Suryakanto Mishra who also sustained brickbat injuries said the number of the injured, many of who were women, could go up further.
Monday’s free for all is explained in terms of a desperate attempt by the left Front to retain its principal Opposition status in the State in the wake of a surge in BJP’s activities. The saffron outfit had of late left behind the Marxists to claim the ‘second position’ in a couple of by-elections in Coochbehar and East Midnapore districts.
In Birbhum too thousands of left supporters are known to have joined the BJP fold.
Among the injured in Monday’s lathi charge were former State Minister Kanti Ganguli, left Front chairman Biman Bose, his politburo colleague Md Salim and others.
The police attack was so brutal that elderly and women were not spared, Mishra said adding “Kanti Ganguli, an old man and a former Minister of 25 years was seen lying on the road with injuries but no policeman or ambulance came to his rescue.”
Five CPI(M) MlAs including senior leader, Ashok Bhattacharya, Manas Mukher-
jee, Sujan Chakrabarty, Anisur Rehman and Tanmoy Bhatta-
charya were arrested earlier in the day when they tried to enter the Nabanna separately.
“We had come to meet the Chief Minister as MlAs, directly from the Assembly which is currently in session. But the police have arrested us without any reason,” Chakrabarty said while Bose demanded their “unconditional release” as the MlAs cannot be arrested without the permission of the Speaker when the House is in session.