Widespread protests mark Amit Shah's visit to City of Joy

Update: 2020-03-01 18:00 GMT

Kolkata: Amit Shah's one-day visit in the city was marked by multiple protests after Opposition parties and students protested against CAA and NRC as soon as the BJP leader arrived in Kolkata on Sunday morning.

As Shah arrived in the city in the morning, hundreds of Left and Congress protesters, carrying black flags and anti-CAA posters, demonstrated outside the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport and raised 'go back' slogans. Later in several places, police and agitators got involved in a scuffle during Shah's visit.

On Sunday morning around 11 am Shah arrived at Netaji Subhas Chandra International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata.

As soon as his convoy came out of the airport, hundreds of CPI(M) and Congress supporters carrying black flag started shouting slogans against CAA and NRC.

They even raised slogans of 'go back Amit Shah' and tried to show black flag to the BJP leader. As police were alert predicting the agitation, no major incident took place.

This comes at a time when Shah remained silent over the Delhi violence while addressing a rally in Kolkata despite the police force under him having failed to control the situation that claimed more than 40 lives.

Meanwhile, at the Park Circus seven-point crossing, a huge gathering burnt an effigy of Shah in protest of his visit in the city. Traffic movement near Beckbagan area was hampered after some Congress workers put up a blockade protesting against CAA and NRC. At Moulali crossing CPI(M) and SFI workers burnt an effigy of Shah.

On Sunday morning CPI(M) took out a rally from Santoshpur to Jadavpur in protest of Shah's visit. In Esplanade, several students gathered on the same issue with placards which read 'Students Against Fascism'.

Later, a minor scuffle broke out between police personnel and protesters when agitators tried to break the barricade and enter Shahid Minar Ground where Shah was about to arrive to address a public meeting organised by the saffron party.

However, it is alleged that when BJP workers were marching towards Sahid Minar Ground since morning, in several places they reportedly raised the controversial slogan 'goli maaro' against the protestors of CAA and NRC.

In the afternoon a person who claimed to be a BJP worker was caught by the police while he was trying to enter the Sahid Minar Ground with a pistol. While entering through the metal detector gate, the alarm went off as soon as the person crossed the gate.

On-duty police personnel immediately detained him and took the pistol from him. Police are interrogating him to know why he was carrying a weapon.

This apart on Sunday, when Shah went to the Kali temple in Kalighat, 'go back Amit Shah' slogan was raised from a gathering standing adjacent to the temple. 

Similar News