Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said police could have opened fire on violent BJP protesters during its march to the state secretariat, but the government exercised maximum restraint. Banerjee also alleged that the saffron party brought in goons armed with bombs in trains from outside the state to foment trouble during its Nabanna Abhijan' on Tuesday.
"Many police personnel were brutally attacked by the participants of that rally... Police could have opened fire, but our administration showed maximum restraint," she said during an administrative meeting at Nimtouri in Purba Medinipur district. The CM said the protest march inconvenienced commuters and traders, barely a few weeks ahead of Durga Puja, Bengal's biggest festival.
"We have nothing against democratic and peaceful protests. But, the BJP and its supporters resorted to violence, vandalism, and arson. They torched properties and instilled fear among people. We won't allow this. Arrests are being made, and law will take its own course," she said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Trinamool's All India General Secretary and Diamond Harbor parliamentarian Abhishek Banerjee visited the police officer at SSKM Hospital and thanked the Calcutta Police and the State Police and praised them for controlling everything calmly despite they are being attacked by the BJP workers.
"People across the country saw how an unarmed police officer was beaten up on the street. I told Debjit babu, if I were you yesterday, I would have put a shot on the forehead. But because police officers like you still exist, law and order in the state are much better than before," Abhishek Banerjee said.
"Those who say with a big face that there has been a change in the state, tell them that yesterday's incident showed clear evidence. This is the change in Bengal. The same way CPM's goons harassed in the last 34 years, who have now joined BJP.
