Kolkata, February 27: A significant protest erupted in Siliguri, West Bengal, on Thursday. Authorities reported that a civic volunteer assaulted a pregnant tribal woman, leading to the tragic loss of her unborn child.
Members of the tribal community marched towards ‘Uttarkanya’, the branch secretariat of the West Bengal government in North Bengal, to voice their grievances. Protesters attempted to climb police barricades, resulting in clashes when law enforcement intervened.
The situation escalated, prompting police to deploy tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. According to police and local sources, the incident stemmed from a land acquisition dispute. Tensions had been brewing for nearly a month over land acquisition issues in the Phansidewa area near Siliguri.
A civic volunteer, identified as Mohammad Kader, has been arrested for the assault on the pregnant woman. However, four other individuals involved in the incident remain unaccounted for. The recent loss of the woman’s unborn child has sparked outrage within the tribal community, leading to the protests on Thursday.
Demonstrators are demanding severe punishment for the accused civic volunteer. A substantial police presence was deployed to manage the situation, which was brought under control after some time.
A senior officer from the Siliguri Police Commissionerate stated, “Some protesters gathered here and staged a demonstration. It lasted for a while, but the situation was eventually brought under control.”
The West Bengal BJP unit condemned the incident and called for justice for the victim. In a statement, the BJP noted, “There was significant tension during the ‘Uttarkanya campaign’ called by the Tribal Security Forum to demand justice for the victim in Phoolbari, Siliguri. As the procession advanced, clashes with police occurred, making the area resemble a war zone due to baton charges, water cannons, and tear gas.”
The statement further emphasized, “Protesters are demanding the arrest of the accused and security in the case of the assault on the pregnant woman. The movement will continue until justice is served.”
Leave a Comment