CPM claims that nearly 200 protesters were injured in clashes with Police in Kolkata.
Central Kolkata and parts of adjoining Howrah turned into a battlefield today, Left parties claim that nearly 200 protesters were injured in clashes with the police during a march to the secretariat to demand farmers' rights, as chief minister Mamata Banerjee termed it as a "barbaric" act by Left supporters.
Ms Banerjee, who visited the nearly dozen injured policemen in hospital after returning to Kolkata from Darjeeling, described it as "CPM's tandav" or "barbaric chaos".
The CPM politburo condemned the police action on its supporters and said that people of Bengal will give a befitting reply to the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Clashes took place at Red Road, Dufferin Road and Khidderpore in Kolkata and at Satragachi and Foreshore Road in Howrah.
At Foreshore Road, protesters were dispersed with tear gas and water cannons while sticks were used on protesters after they hurled bricks at the police. At Red Road-Dufferin Road, as protesters rushed the police barricades and pelted stones, Biman Bose, chairman of the Left Front and CPM Politburo, was hit on the head with a stone.
"Biman Bose was hit by a stone hurled by his own party workers... He wiped up some blood from a person who was actually bleeding and smeared it on himself. Even CPM MP Mohammad Salim was carrying rocks in his pocket when he went for the rally," said Trinamool leader and minister, Subrata Mukherjee.
The CPM, blamed the police for the violence, as the protests were planned and given permission. Mr Salim said, "Subrata Mukherjee is lying, how would he know what was in my pocket?"
"Over 2 lakh people occupied all roads to Nabanna for 3 hours braving brutal attack of police. There will be a more befitting reply to the Trinamool government will follow," said Surya Kanta Mishra, CPM leader.
The protest was held under the banner of Left Peasants' Organisations, led by the CPM's farmers' wing, Krishak Sabha. They were protesting farmer suicides, the lack of support price for crops, and failure of the government to compensate crop losses during recent floods in the state.