ABVP clashes with police, TMC criticises raising of ‘Goli Maro’ slogan

Kolkata: Massive traffic congestion took place in Jadavpur, Golpark and Gariahat areas in South Kolkata on Friday afternoon when police stopped an unauthorised rally organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student-wing of the BJP.

The rally was stopped just before it commenced at the Golpark crossing as ABVP had no permission to conduct the rally calling for ragging-free Jadavpur University (JU). Police had set up guard rails and barricades. Despite police requesting the gathering to disperse so the traffic can move normally, the protestors tried to move towards the Jadavpur 8B bus terminus. Subsequently, they clashed with the police.

Some of the ABVP workers managed to reach Jadavpur Police Station but they were intercepted and detained. After almost an hour, traffic movement became normal. To date, police have arrested 12 former and present students of JU.

Another student was arrested for obstructing police from entering the campus on the night of the incident.

Among the arrested youths, one identified as Sourabh Chowdhury was remanded to judicial custody on Friday while the rest are still in police custody.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress took to its social media account and wrote on X: “Preachers of hate & leaders of unruliness, BJP goons, are only good at inciting violence! At a rally in Jadavpur, members of @ABVPVoice, the student wing of @BJP4India, are seen using a hate slogan. We condemn such hooliganism & the sheer attempt to disrupt peace in Bengal.” The comment by the ruling party comes in the wake of the ABVP raising the ‘Goli Maro’ slogan which was first hurled by the BJP leader Anurag Thakur at the anti-CAA protestors in Delhi.”