Mamata threatens contempt plea after Kolkata clashes, says BJP sabotaged court-approved TMC rally

Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the BJP of orchestrating violence to derail a Calcutta High Court-approved protest march over the alleged rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Baruipur, while holding the police squarely responsible for failing to enforce the court's order and announcing that her party would move contempt proceedings.

Addressing reporters and later a gathering at Hazra crossing after the rally, Banerjee alleged that BJP supporters repeatedly obstructed the procession, assaulted TMC workers — including women — and were allowed to flout the high court's directions with the tacit support of the police.

"The high court allowed our rally, but BJP goons stopped it. How can the police undermine the court's order allowing the rally? BJP goons beat up our party workers. Is this democracy?" she said.

The former West Bengal chief minister, however, said her primary grievance was with the police rather than the BJP, alleging that law enforcement had abandoned its constitutional role. "I will not blame the BJP; the fault lies with the police. We are holding this rally with court permission, yet the police failed to perform their role," she said.

Questioning the conduct of the force, Banerjee alleged that "the IC is now acting like a BJP mandal president, and the SP like a district president", adding that if the police could not maintain law and order, they had effectively defied the high court's directions.

The march, organised by the TMC's student and youth wings, began at Ballygunge Phari and concluded at Hazra crossing. The court had permitted the procession between 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm, capped participation at 1,000 people, allowed only hand-held microphones and directed that one lane remain open throughout the route.

Banerjee said she deliberately stayed away from the procession because her presence could have drawn larger crowds and the party wanted to comply fully with the court's conditions. "I could have personally joined the march, but I chose not to because we wanted to respect the high court's directions," she said.

According to Banerjee and the TMC, the procession began peacefully before BJP supporters allegedly gathered along the route, shouted "chor (thief)", played loud DJ music, erected makeshift stages and formed human barricades to obstruct the march. She alleged that while the police confiscated the hand microphones permitted by the court, they allowed BJP workers to violate the same order.

"They seized our hand mics despite court permission, but allowed BJP workers to create disturbances. Women, senior citizens and young workers were assaulted. I myself came out after hearing that our IT cell chairperson had been surrounded and attacked. I saw people bleeding," she alleged.

Banerjee claimed BJP supporters had assembled outside her Kalighat residence from early morning and that loud music had been played from Kalighat to Gariahat from around 6 am, but said she had not objected.

She further alleged that instead of ensuring law and order, the police had placed her residence under surveillance. "I am being kept under police watch as if I am under house arrest. Instead of maintaining law and order, they are watching who comes to my house," she claimed.

The chief minister said more than 25 party workers had been injured after being attacked with lathis, iron rods and bricks. She alleged that police personnel failed to rescue the injured and even obstructed vehicles taking them to hospital. "The police aren't even allowing us to go to the hospital. They are blocking the road," she claimed.

Several videos circulating on social media showed pushing and scuffles between rival groups, with police personnel attempting to separate them. In one widely shared clip, Banerjee appeared to slap a TMC worker while trying to clear a path to move injured supporters. Party leaders said she was attempting to disperse the crowd so the injured could be taken for treatment.

Workers of the BJP and the TMC clashed at several locations during the march, prompting police to baton-charge the rival groups to restore order. Police later deployed additional personnel and brought the situation under control.

Escalating her political attack, Banerjee alleged that "those who looted donations for the Ram Temple are creating disturbance here in the name of Lord Ram", an apparent reference to recent allegations surrounding the management of donations at the Ayodhya shrine.

Without naming anyone, she also accused the BJP-led Centre of attempting to suppress democratic protests through intimidation. "No government can silence the voices of the people or snatch away their democratic rights through fear and torture. This government is relying on anti-social elements with police support," she alleged.

Banerjee also claimed that around 50 protesters had been arrested in Bongaon during separate demonstrations, alleging that democratic protests were being systematically suppressed. She said if even court-approved processions could be obstructed, it raised serious questions about the rule of law and people's democratic rights.

The rally was organised to protest the alleged rape and murder of the minor in Baruipur. The girl's body was recovered from a pond in Surjyapur Haat on 5 July, a day after she went missing. Locals alleged that she was raped and murdered before her body was dumped in a sack.

Meanwhile, Prabhas Mondal, one of the prime accused and key witnesses in the case, was killed in an alleged encounter early on Wednesday after he allegedly snatched a firearm from a policeman and attempted to escape during a crime scene reconstruction, police said. Another accused, Kabir Molla, was arrested later in the day, taking the total number of arrests in the case to four.

The BJP did not immediately respond to Banerjee's allegations.