"Dirty Political Game": Army Removes Protest Stage, Trinamool Slams Centre

A row has broken out after the Army dismantled a Trinamool Congress demonstration stage in Kolkata's Maidan area. The stage was put up to protest the alleged harassment of Bengali migrants. The Trinamool Congress has accused the Centre of deploying the Army to muzzle its voice. The Army has responded that the stage was not removed despite repeated reminders.

The Army today started dismantling the stage next to Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Maidan. The Maidan area comes under the authority of the Army and the Eastern Command headquarters are at Fort William nearby.

The Eastern Command said in a statement that the Indian Army gives permission for events in the Maidan area for up to two days as directed by the Supreme Court. "Permission for events greater than 3 days needs to be obtained from the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Permission for conduct of events was provided for two days. However, the stage has been put up of almost a month, several reminders have been sent to the organisers for the removal of the temporary structure; however, it was not removed. Thereafter, the Kolkata police was informed and the structure was being removed by the Indian Army," the statement said.

Hitting out at the Centre, Trinamool leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "When (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi comes to Kolkata, he should take permission from us. They cannot stop our voice. If the atrocities against Bengalis continue, we will protest every day," she said. "The Army is not guilty. They have been directed by BJP. It's a dirty political game," she added, directing party leaders to shift the protest site. She termed it "political vendetta" and "misuse of the Army" by the ruling BJP. 

Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the Centre has deployed the Army to muzzle Trinamool's voice and its right to protest. "The Chief Minister instructed us to hold the dharna. We want to say, our voice will not be muted. We will shift the venue and people will see how the Centre is conspiring against the Mamata Banerjee government."

Mr Ghosh alleged, "The BJP government has brought in the Army after the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation."

BJP, the main opposition in the state, has welcomed the Army's move. BJP leader and former MP said the Trinamool was holding the protest without proper permission. "BJP has always been denied permission to protest. Action taken by the Army against Trinamool is right," she said.