A large crowd gathered around College Square in Kolkata as the 'Nabanna Abhiyan' protest march began on Tuesday, August 27, 2024.

The Paschimbanga Chattro Samaj called for a 'March to Nabanna' amid the ongoing row over the incident at R.

G.

Kar Medical College and Hospital.

However, the police refused to grant permission to conduct the protest.

- **Police Barricades and Deployment**: Major roads leading to the Secretariat were barricaded, and thousands of police were deployed across Kolkata, anticipating violence during the march scheduled to begin at 2 p.

m.

During the rally styled as Nabanna Chalo by the members and supporters of Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj, 126 people (103 males and 23 females) were arrested.

- **BJP's Response**: The BJP demanded the release of students arrested during the march towards the state secretariat Nabanna on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the wake of the alleged rape and murder of a doctor.

BJP State president Sukanta Majumdar led a rally to police headquarters Lalbazar to meet the Police Commissioner but was prevented by the force.

- **Congress Leader's Statement**: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury expressed confusion over the excessive arrangements made to prevent the protest.

J.

P.

Nadda condemned the police's action against the protesters, stating that it is a crime to speak for women's safety in Mamata Banerjee's West Bengal.

- **General Strike Call**: The BJP called for a 12-hour general strike in West Bengal on August 28 to protest against the police action on those who took part in the march to the state secretariat Nabanna.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar stated that the autocratic regime is turning a deaf ear to the voices of people demanding justice for the deceased doctor.

- **Security Measures**: Indira Mukherjee, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Central Division, Kolkata Police, stated that they would see whatever happens and that there is no problem.

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla criticized the security arrangements, stating that if such security had been provided at R.

G.

Kar Medical College and Hospital, the crime scene would not have been desecrated.

- **Clashes and Arrests**: Protestors broke barricades, chanted slogans, and agitated over the R.

G.

Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case.

Fresh clashes broke out between police and protestors on GT Road in Howrah Maidan area when they tried to march towards the state secretariat.

Police lathi-charged and used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protestors who threw stones and bricks at the security forces.

- **Governor's Statement**: West Bengal Governor C.

V.

Ananda Bose urged the government to remember the strong pronouncement of the Supreme Court of India and not unleash the power of the state on peaceful protesters.

He emphasized that democracy can have a silent majority, not a silenced majority.

- **Traffic Advisory**: The police deployed the Vajra vehicle, water cannons, and Riot Control Force in the area while containers were placed to block the roads.

Kolkata Police issued a traffic advisory and made diversions for several routes connecting the city to various regions.

- **Student Organization's Clarification**: The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front clarified that the rally was not organized or called by them and that they were not participating in the rally in any form.

- **Slogans and Statements**: The student organization used slogans from Bangladesh for its march to the Secretariat.

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh questioned the police's authority to call the protest legal or illegal, stating that in a democratic country, anyone can protest.

- **UGC-NET Examination**: The march to the State Secretariat Nabanna would not inconvenience candidates of UGC-NET as the examination would be held in two shifts, according to the organizer.

The spokesperson stated that their non-violent democratic protest would not affect the candidates.

- **Security Tightening**: Security was tightened around Nabanna, which houses the State Secretariat, and across Howrah in wake of the march to Nabanna.