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Violence Erupts During Nabanna Avijan

Kolkata: On Saturday, the mother of the victim from the R.G. Kar rape and murder case was hospitalized after experiencing health issues during the 'Nabanna Avijan' (March to the Secretariat).

Initially, her companions attempted to provide her relief by splashing cold water on her face. However, as her condition worsened, she was taken to a private medical facility.

Protesters reported that she was feeling faint and struggling to breathe. One protester claimed, "She became ill after being assaulted by police. She has been transported to a private hospital for care."

The victim's mother accused the police of physically assaulting her when she, along with her husband and fellow protesters, attempted to march towards Nabanna, the state secretariat.

The Nabanna Avijan, commemorating the anniversary of the RG Kar incident, escalated into violence as police employed a significant baton charge to disperse the crowd, allegedly attacking the victim's parents in the process.

Suvendu Adhikari, the opposition leader in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, who also claimed to have been assaulted by police, rushed to the hospital to check on the victim's mother's condition.

Both the victim's mother and BJP leaders asserted that during the police action, her sacred shell-bangle, a traditional symbol of married Hindu women, was shattered.

The victim's mother reiterated her claims of police brutality, stating, "We were unarmed. Why are they afraid of us? The police assaulted me and broke my Sankha-Pola. They threw me on the ground and kicked me."

Accompanied by BJP legislators, including Adhikari, the victim's parents initiated a march from Dorina Crossing towards Nabanna, demanding justice for their daughter.

However, a large police presence halted their progress at the Park Street – Jawaharlal Nehru Road intersection. As BJP supporters attempted to breach the barricades, a confrontation ensued between the protesters and law enforcement, leading to a baton charge to disperse the crowd.

Following the altercation, tensions flared in the Park Street vicinity, prompting BJP legislators and the victim's parents to stage a sit-in protest against the police's actions.

The victim's father expressed their frustration, stating, "What is our crime? We will reach Nabanna. They cannot prevent us."

On the anniversary of the RG Kar incident, the victim's parents had called for a Nabanna Avijan, which garnered support from various organizations.

All BJP legislators, including Subhendu Adhikari, participated in the protest march on that day.

As the procession advanced towards Nabanna through the Park Street area, police intervened, stopping Adhikari and other BJP MLAs.