On Tuesday, September 13, a video went viral on social media wherein some women police officers can be seen harassing, manhandling, and forcefully detaining a lady passenger on a railway platform. The incident reportedly occurred on Monday at the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station in West Bengal, from where these ladies were travelling to Kolkata to participate in the BJP’s ‘Nabanna Cholo’ rally, which is taking place today (Tuesday, September 13).
Kanchan Gupta, a veteran journalist and the senior adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, took to Twitter to reshare a Tweet posted by Raju Bista, the BJP spokesperson and MP from Darjeeling. While re-sharing the video, Kanchan Gupta Tweeted, “This is how @MamataOfficial Cops are stopping people from going to Kolkata to join a protest rally. This is how democracy functions in @MahuaMoitra’s republic of fear.”
This is how @MamataOfficial Cops are stopping people from going to Kolkata to join protest rally.
— Kanchan Gupta 🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) September 13, 2022
This is how democracy functions in @MahuaMoitra ‘s republic of fear. https://t.co/AI3iRQFMW3
Kanchan Gupta reshared a thread of Tweets from BJP leader Raju Bista, in which he shared a video of the alleged act as well as a copy of the complaint letter he wrote to Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronics and Information Technology in the Government of India, drawing his attention to the incident.
Section 147(1) and 175(c) of Railways Act was designed to prevent such highhandedness, which could have escalated, leading to stampede, and even death of a passenger.@RailMinIndia | @MinistryWCD @smritiirani | @BJPMahilaMorcha pic.twitter.com/V3qyadTcTh
— Raju Bista (@RajuBistaBJP) September 13, 2022
In the 2.20-minute long video shared by the BJP MP, a woman in a black salwar suit is seen walking on the railway platform along with another woman when three-four female police officers abruptly stop her. The officers inquired as to her destination. When the lady tries to leave, three female officers grab her. The officers try to take the lady’s phone from her hands as well. While struggling to free herself, the lady asks the woman accompanying her to record the event. She is seen urging the cops not to touch her and to speak to her from a safe distance.
The lady filming the act can be heard asking the police officers what crime they committed to be treated in this manner. “Police are supposed to protect us,” she cries, “why are you doing this, what is her fault?” The cops, on the other hand, do not respond and continue to grip the woman tightly.
Three female officers continue to tightly grab the woman’s hand, preventing her from releasing herself. While the other woman and she continue to ask the police officers about their offence and why they are being harassed and manhandled, the officers remain silent and continue to tighten their grip on her.
“Section 147(1) and 175(c) of Railways Act was designed to prevent such highhandedness, which could have escalated, leading to stampede, and even death of a passenger. @RailMinIndia | @MinistryWCD@smritiirani | @BJPMahilaMorcha,” Tweeted Raju Bista while sharing the video.
In his subsequent Tweet, Bista, the BJP MP from Darjeeling, shared a copy of a complaint letter he wrote to Ashwini Vaishnaw wherein he urged the latter to initiate an inquiry against the officers responsible for the “rash and negligent” act.
Condemning the high-handedness of the West Bengal police working at the behest of CM Mamata Banerjee, the BJP leader wrote, “I have grounds to believe that the WB Police personnel entered the Railway stations and platforms without seeking due permission from the Railway authorities, and went onto detain and physically assault many passengers. They terrorised the passengers, and put their lives at grave risk due to their rash and negligent act. This situation could have escalated, leading to a stampede, and even the death of a passenger.
I am, therefore, writing to request you to kindly initiate an inquiry into these incidents and ensure that all those who entered the railway premises illegally and unlawfully are dealt with strictly according to law.
I am attaching videos of some passengers who were arrested and tortured for your kind reference,” read the letter.
BJP organises ‘Nabanna Cholo’ mega rally in Kolkata against Mamata Banerjee government
Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has organised a mega ‘Nabanna Cholo’ rally on Tuesday to protest against the alleged corrupt practices of the ruling TMC government. The BJP has hired seven trains, three from north Bengal and four from the south, to bring its party members and supporters from different parts of West Bengal to join ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ (march to the secretariat) on September 13.
Senior BJP leader and former state president of the party, Rahul Sinha had earlier on Monday warned that the TMC-run administration was “trying to create hurdles in the way” of supporters willing to come to the city to join the rally.
Meanwhile, according to reports, the West Bengal police have put police barricades on the way to railway stations. The cops have also put up water canons at critical areas like Howrah.
Reports of BJP workers and police clashing outside the Raniganj railway station as workers headed for Kolkata for the Nabanna Cholo rally surfaced on Tuesday morning.
West Bengal police detain BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari and Locket Chatterjee
As per the latest reports, BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari and Locket Chatterjee have been detained by police ahead of the march.
BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, Locket Chatterjee detained ahead of BJP’s ‘Nabaana Chalo’ march. @KamalikaSengupt and @Sougata_Mukh
— News18 (@CNNnews18) September 13, 2022
report live #WestBengal #BengalPolitics #NabbanaChaloRally | @akankshaswarups pic.twitter.com/MDTCz0sM8v
“CM Mamata doesn’t have the support of her people & so she is enforcing dictatorship, similar to North Korea in Bengal… Police will have to pay for what it’s been doing since yesterday, BJP is coming,” Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said ahead of the ‘Nabanna Chalo’ march.
Earlier, BJP leader Abhijit Dutta had said, “Twenty of our workers stopped by police near Durgapur railway station. I reached here using other paths.”
