Sunanda Sanyal manhandled,held

The police tried to stop them from entering the commissionerate premises and later used force to chase them away.

They manhandled Sanyal,81, who fell on the ground before taking him away. Sukhabilas Barma and Sujan Chakraborty were also assaulted and picked up.

“The protestors tried to forcibly enter the premises of the commissionerate. They even heckled the police officials who tried to prevent them. We have arrested 24 persons,including three women,” DC (headquarters),Bidhannagar Commissionerate,Subrata Banerjee,said.

“I am told I have been arrested. They (the police) shoved me and assaulted me.

I fell down and there was a stampede-like situation,” Sanyal said while speaking with The Indian Express over the phone from the police station.

“Kunal Ghosh took the name of Mamata Banerjee. We want to know why should all those named by him not be interrogated,at least by the police. We will continue this movement,” he added.

A senior police official said,“The agitators were arrested as they had no permission to demonstrate near the commissionerate office.”

“We have been asked to sign a personal bond and we were also told that we can opt for bail. But I refused to do so. I will keep sitting here as I know that I have not done anything wrong,” added Sanyal,

Sanyal was one of the prominent backers of Mamata in her fight against the then ruling Left Front. In November 2011,he resigned as head of the School Syllabus Committee claiming that he was kept in the dark about certain policy changes. Later,he became one of the vehement critics of Trinamool Congress’s rule.

Meanwhile,CPM leader Shymal Chakrabarty complained that the police heckled and roughed up the protesters.

Party state secretary Biman Bose condemned the arrests saying,“What happened today is an attack on democratic rights and values. With every passing day,democratic rights are being snatched away from the opposition parties and common people.”

CPI(M) central committee member Gautam Deb said “Why is she (Mamata) afraid of CBI probe? A CBI probe will only bring out the truth. Is the Trinamool afraid of the truth?”