An army contingent reached the venue around 3 pm and proceeded to dismantle the stage despite attempts by TMC workers to resist. Photo: The Federal
Indian Army dismantling TMC protest stage in Kolkata becomes political flashpoint
The army’s move to remove a stage at Mayo Road, citing expired permission, has drawn sharp criticism from CM Mamata Banerjee, who called it misuse of army for political purposes
The Indian Army on Monday (September 1) found itself at the centre of a political storm after dismantling a stage set up by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for its Bhasha Andolan (Language Movement) protest at Mayo Road in central Kolkata.
The army’s action escalated into a political flashpoint with West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government of misusing the army for political purposes.
An army contingent reached the venue around 3 pm and proceeded to dismantle the stage despite attempts by TMC workers to resist.
Upon hearing the news, Mamata Banerjee rushed to the site and announced state-wide protest marches across every block and panchayat on Tuesday (Sept 2). Photo: The Federal
Mamata announces protest marches
Upon hearing the news, Mamata Banerjee rushed to the site and announced state-wide protest marches across every block and panchayat on Tuesday (September 2), condemning the central government’s alleged attempt to suppress voices speaking out against the perceived insult to Bengali language and culture.
She was however careful not to directly attack the army as an institution.
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“The army is not at fault. They are our friends and our pride. But they are being used politically, and that is unacceptable,” she said.
“This is directed by the defence minister (Rajnath Singh) and executed at the behest of the BJP. They aim to forcibly dismantle the TMC’s stage for their political gains,” she further alleged.
Permission till Aug 31: Army
Army sources stated that permission to use the defence land for the TMC’s protest programme was granted until August 31. The stage was dismantled following the expiry of that period.
Responding to the Army’s statement, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh countered that if that were the case, the Army should have informed the state administration, rather than taking it upon itself to dismantle the stage.
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“Dismantling a stage is the job of a decorator, not the army,” he added.
The chief minister also reiterated that if there had been any objection regarding the permission, the army authorities should have raised the matter with the civil administration.
‘Violation of democratic norms’
“The TMC would have willingly dismantled it themselves,” she said, questioning the need for military intervention in a civilian political matter, and called the move a violation of democratic norms.
This incident is the latest flashpoint in the ongoing friction between the BJP-led central government and the TMC government over the harassment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states.
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A resolution condemning the attack was introduced in the special session of the state assembly that commenced on Monday. The issue is expected to be discussed in the next two days of the session.
The army’s embroilment in the controversy has introduced a new dimension to the political tussle.
