Election run-up: Cops ready to stop Oppn parties from racking up issues

After getting information that the Opposition parties are likely to “instigate” the police to resort to lathicharge on their supporters during law violation programmes, top brass of the Kolkata Police have chalked out an elaborate plan to tackle the situation without giving them any opportunity to create “an issue” to tarnish the image of the force ahead of the Assembly elections. 

It may be mentioned that Left Front chairman Biman Bose had alleged that the police behaved as “volunteers of the Trinamool Congress” following a clash between his party workers and the police during Nabanna Abhijan on August 27 in which 25 policemen were injured as the party supporters had allegedly pelted stones. 

The police have received information that the CPI(M) would hold several such rallies including some in the central business district after their programme at Brigade Parade Ground on December 27.  

According to the sources, the CPI(M) and other Opposition parties will try to get maximum mileage out of the rallies in the city. The police received information that the rallies will get highlighted more if they were organised in the city and it may give a new lease of life to their supporters in the rural part of the state if any untoward incident takes place during the rally or a law-violation programme. 

The city police had received the information around a week ago. Subsequently, a meeting was held in this regard where the officials were asked to remain more alert when such rally is being organised in areas including Ganesh Chandra Avenue, Esplanade and Rani Rashmoni Avenue.    

Like their usual process, the police would stop the supporters at a certain point using guard rails when they will march toward a vital installation like Lalbazar or the state secretariat. In case the supporters turn unruly, then the police would use water cannons to disperse the mob, a police officer said adding “It doesn’t means that the combat force will not be kept ready. But I believe that the purpose of dispersing the mob will be served just by using water cannons.” 

Is it the same reason why the officer-in-charge (OC) of a police station, under whose jurisdiction there are several vital government installations, has not been changed even after the transfer order.  

The last order to reshuffle the OCs came on December 7. OCs of 20 police stations in the city had been changed. But OC of a police station in the central business district is yet to take charge of the police station where he has been transferred. It is learnt that he is continuing as OC of the same police station in the central business district after being directed by a senior police officer. 

Initially, the police have received information that CPI(M) supporters may try to create trouble after their rally at Brigade Parade Ground. But now they apprehend that other Opposition parties may take the similar path.