Kolkata witnessed significant unrest on Tuesday during the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ rally, a protest organized in response to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The demonstration, which aimed to draw attention to the horrific crime, was met with intense clashes between protesters and police forces.
A video from the rally has since gone viral, featuring an elderly man in a saffron outfit enduring the Kolkata Police’s water cannons while waving the national flag. This striking image of defiance has captured widespread attention on social media and elicited strong reactions from political leaders.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have hailed the elderly man’s resolute stance as a symbol of resistance against what they describe as the oppressive West Bengal government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. BJP leader Locket Chatterjee praised the man’s “steadfast determination,” emphasizing his defiant stance as a testament to the struggle against “TMC’s tyranny.”
On social media platform X, Chatterjee stated, “End anarchy, end fascism. We all demand the end of TMC’s tyranny. With the Tiranga in hand amid blasting water cannons, this man is defining his steadfast determination against the oppression of @MamataOfficial. I stand by him, the people of the state stand by him and the entire country is standing by him.”
Amit Malviya, BJP IT cell head, also shared the video, describing the man’s actions as “the ultimate symbol of defiance against an oppressive Mamata Banerjee regime.”
In response, Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Riju Dutta criticized the protesters, including the elderly man, calling them “hooligans of BJP.” Dutta condemned the violence and destruction during the rally, which saw clashes with police, vandalism, and injuries.
“[The protesters] wanted ‘Dead Bodies,’ they wanted to create anarchy like Bangladesh in Bengal. They pelted stones at police, broke barricades, destroyed police vehicles, set fire to motorcycles, multiple police badly injured, IC Chanditala head split wide open…This will NOT BE TOLERATED!” Dutta wrote on X. He also expressed gratitude towards the West Bengal Police for maintaining order amidst the chaos.
The ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ rally was organized by the newly-formed student body, Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj, and other groups to protest the tragic death of a 31-year-old trainee doctor. Despite the police’s declaration of the rally as “illegal” and “unauthorized,” citing concerns over potential violence and public disorder, the demonstration proceeded.
During the event, skirmishes erupted between police and protesters as they attempted to breach barricades en route to the West Bengal secretariat. The police deployed teargas and lathi-charges to manage the situation, leading to over 200 arrests related to the rally.
Sources By Agencies
