Outsiders joining teachers' protests led to ruckus on April 9: Kolkata CP

Kolkata, April 11 (IANS) Some outsiders joined the protests by the teaching and non-teaching staff -- who lost their jobs -- in front of the office of the district inspector of schools at Kasba in South Kolkata on Wednesday (April 9) following which the protests turned violent, claimed Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma while speaking to the media on Friday.

His claims on this count came just hours after the city police authorities, amid all-round criticism, had to replace the cop accused of kicking a protesting teacher at Kasba on Wednesday from the probe into the agitation by the job losers.

Verma explained that it was beyond the imagination of the police that a protest demonstration by the teachers would turn so violent. He also claimed that the preparations for security arrangements at the office of the district inspector of schools at Kasba were made keeping in mind that the protest demonstration would involve only teachers.

However, he added, that only after the demonstration started did the police personnel realise that outsiders too had joined the protest demonstrations.

“It was beyond our imagination that the teachers would attack the police personnel. The protestors were supposed to lock the gate of the office of the district inspector of schools as a mark of protest. But in reality, the existing lock at the main gate was broken by the protestors. Locking the gate and breaking the lock are not the same,” the Commissioner said.

However, he admitted that the event of kicking a protester by a cop was not desirable. “I have said it before and I am saying it again, that the event was undesirable. There can be mistakes on the part of the police. We give repeated reminders that the mistakes are not repeated,” the Commissioner said.

He also said that Riton Das, the cop accused of kicking, was himself injured in the scuffle. “He was slapped and hit on his chest. Even his spectacles were broken,” the commissioner claimed.

On Wednesday afternoon, the police resorted to cane-charge on the teaching and non-teaching staff of state-run schools whose jobs have recently been terminated following an order from a division bench of the Supreme Court.

They were protesting in front of the office of the District Inspector of schools at Kasba, demanding that the state government immediately segregate the "genuine" candidates from the "tainted" ones getting jobs paying money.

In the police action against the protesting teaching and non-teaching staff, several protesters received severe injuries from being hit by police batons. Amid the scuffle, Das was spotted by some media cameramen kicking a protester.

However, the administration described the police action as mild and also claimed that the police were forced to take action after they were attacked.

--IANS

src/pgh