Kolkata: Left protestors turn violent as cops resort to lathicharge

Kolkata, Aug 27: A march held by Left organisations here today turned violent as the police lathicharged the protestors who in turn engaged in brick-batting, resulting in injuries to policemen and Left leaders, including Left Front Chairman Biman Bose.

A police official said the Left peasants' organisations, which assembled at the Rani Rasmoni Road in the heart of the city, were scheduled to march to the state secretariat Nabanna across the Hooghly in support of their demand for security for farmers and development of agricultural conditions in the state.

The rally was led by the state opposition leader Surjya Kanta Mishra and other Left leaders from Rani Rashmoni Road area.

The police had set up a road block at Dufferin Road to stop the procession from moving towards the state secretariat and tried to convince the protestors to disperse.

When all negotiations failed, the police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd, the official said. During the lathicharge several protestors, including women and elderly, were injured following which the crowd allegedly started pelting stones and brickbats resulting in a clash between the police and protestors, the official said.

Meanwhile, the processionists claimed that several leaders of the Left Front, including Chairman Biman Bose, were injured during the lathicharge.

PTI