JUH rally protesting ‘campaign against madrasas’ targets police

The clash left 11 police personnel, including two assistant commissioners, injured even as the traffic management collapsed.

A Kolkata police van damaged by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind supporters in Kolkata on Saturday. (Express photo)

A public meeting called by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (JUH) to protest “the campaign against madrasas” saw the protesters clashing with police and damaging several vehicles and one of the oldest clubs in central Kolkata after a rumour spread about a youth from the minority community allegedly suffering grievous injuries in an accident during the rally.

The clash left 11 police personnel, including two assistant commissioners, injured even as the traffic management collapsed resulting in bottlenecks at several locations causing inconvenience to the commuters.

However, as per the police, no accident was recorded in central Kolkata when the JUH meeting was being held. As per the police, following rumours about the alleged accident, a mob of protesters started pelting stones at police personnel deployed there apart from damaging several PCR vehicles. The mob also damaged damaged the Dalhousie Athletic club.

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JUH state chief Siddiqullah Chowdhury, who was present at the rally, however, blamed the incident on “outsiders”.

“Those who attacked the police were not from amongst us. We believe that some outsiders were trying to disturb our meeting and that is why they spread the rumour (about the accident),” he said.

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