Kolkata Police summons BJP MLA Ashok Dinda over threats to officers during RG Kar protest

Kolkata Police has summoned BJP MLA Ashok Dinda over alleged threats to officers during the RG Kar Hospital crime anniversary protest. Seven cases were filed in Kolkata and Howrah against BJP leaders and supporters over violence and obstruction during the march

Kolkata: The Kolkata Police on Tuesday issued summons to BJP MLA and former India cricketer Ashok Dinda to appear before it for allegedly threatening policemen during protests to mark the completion of one year of the RG Kar hospital crime last week, an officer said.

Dinda has been asked to appear before the officers of the New Market Police Station on August 17, he said.”Dinda, during Saturday’s rally, threatened our officers and provoked others to assault our on-duty officers. He also assaulted a guard of an IAS officer. He has been summoned to appear before the New Market Police Station on August 17,” the officer told PTI.

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Video footage of Dinda allegedly threatening and abusing the police officers was seized, he said.

“Days are not far away when police will also be beaten up badly. I am clearly saying that if our party leadership gives a go-ahead, we will beat up police personnel in such a manner that they will have to hide behind the ‘achal’ (loose end of a saree) of Mamata Banerjee.

“We were rallying peacefully and the police lathi-charged us without any reason…Yes, I am an MLA, and I am saying this,” Dinda was seen speaking to a news channel on August 9. Chaos and violent agitation dominated the streets of Kolkata and adjacent Howrah on Saturday, a day that marked the completion of one year of the rape and murder of the doctor at the state-run hospital.

Seven cases — five by the Kolkata Police and two by the Howrah Police — have been registered for allegedly obstructing security personnel from performing their duties, assaulting them and causing damage to public properties during a march to the West Bengal secretariat on August 9.

Other than Dinda, the police registered cases against BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul and another party leader Kaustav Bagchi. Four FIRs have been registered at the New Market Police Station and one in Hare Street police station under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police against some leaders and supporters of a political party, the officer said.

“A case was filed at the Hare Street Police Station for violating Calcutta High Court orders on the protest march. The demonstrators did not go to RR Avenue, a site proposed for the rally, and took a procession towards Park Street. They were booked for obstruction public way, disobedience to a lawful order from a public servant,” the Kolkata Police officer said.

Cases were filed at the New Market Police Station for creating a ruckus at a ‘Rakhi’ stall of a political party, assaulting a police constable, vandalising the office of a hawkers’ union, and damaging the camera of a media person.

The police-protesters face-off took place in phases and at multiple points during the August 9 ‘Nabanna Chalo Abhiyan’, a march to the state secretariat demanding “justice” for the RG Kar victim, which had at least three converging processions of agitators in both Kolkata and Howrah.