Left, Congress protest against visit as ‘goli maaro’ chants ring
KOLKATA: The Left Front and the Congress organised rallies in protest against the visit of the Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to Kolkata on Sunday, with the supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allegedly raising the controversial “shoot the traitors” slogan, police said, stirring a fresh row.
Soon after the Union minister landed in Kolkata around 11 am, protesters, standing outside gate 1 of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, shouted ‘Amit Shah Go Back’ slogans .
Throughout the day, protest rallies continued across the city as anti-BJP supporters can be seen carrying black flags, shouting slogans and releasing black coloured hot air balloons.
Dozens of BJP supporters, who were heading towards the Shahid Minar ground, where Shah was addressing the public rally, raised slogans --- “Desh ke gaddaro ko, Goli Maro salon ko” (shoot the traitors).
While the Congress demanded that the BJP supporters should be immediately arrested, the Left parties threatened to move court if the police doesn’t take any action. Senior leaders of the BJP could not be reached as they were holding closed-door meetings with Shah till reports last came in.
The ruling Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) top brass refused to comment saying the party would come up with a statement. No statement, however, was issued by the Trinamool till late on Sunday.
“We will be taking action,” said Sudheer Kumar Neelakantam, deputy commissioner (central division) of Kolkata Police. He, however, refused to divulge any details on the kind of action that will be taken.
“We know what damage the slogan has caused to Delhi. We will wait for the police to take action. If they don’t act we will move court,” said Md Salim, CPI(M) politburo member.
Senior Congress legislator, Manoj Chakraborty, demanded immediate arrest of the BJP supporters. “After Delhi, Shah has now targeted Kolkata to spread violence...,” said Adhir Chowdhury, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha.
BJP leaders were not available for comments.
The controversial “Goli Maro” slogan was also raised by Union minister of state for finance Anurag Thakur in January during an election rally in Delhi.