By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Several groups and individuals, including students, and film actor staged protests in the city against Narendra Modi and shouted slogans, “Go back Modi” as the Gujarat Chief Minster addressed industrialists in the state capital on April 9.
Modi was invited in a conference organized by MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bharat Chamber of Commerce and the Indian Chamber of Commerce at the five star ‘Grand Hotel’ in Kolkata.
Protest against Narndra Modi in front of a Grand Hotel Kolkata on 9th April, 2013. He was invited in a conference called by three Traders Organisation.
The protest had started from the morning itself, by Bhasha o Chetana Samity, and supported by several leftist students’ bodies, including USDF, AISA and PDSF. Theater actors’ organization, Theater Fraternity and Minority & Dalit organization Rokeya Brigade, as well as Democratic Action Forum of Dalit Women and Minorities, Kaumi Ekta also participated in the protest.
Protestors staged drama, sang songs and read poems against Modi in front of the Hotel, holding placards that read `Go Back Modi’, `Killer of Gujrat Minorities.’
Police was, however, vigilant and stopped the agitation and drama midway. Protesters were briefly detained.
Secretary of Bhasha o Chetana Samity, Professor Emanul Haque alleged that the police used the batons to disperse the protesters, in which one student of Vidyasagar College, Shuvojit Maiti was seriously injured. He has now been admitted in the SSKM Hospital.
He further said that no matter how much Modi present himself as the Development icon, he cannot escape the responsibilities of the 2002 pogroms. His development plank is hollow as Gujarat fails on several fronts, he added.
Trinamul Congress MP, Kabir Suman later visited the Police Headquarter at Lalbazar and spoke to Joint Commissioner of Police (Sadar) Jawed Shamim.
All protesters were released later in the night.