The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the followings statement on May 22, 2017.

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the police brutality unleashed against peaceful protesters at the state government headquarters Nabanna in Kolkata on May 22. Over nine hundred protesters were grievously injured and over a hundred of them are reportedly in a critical condition. Even media personnel were not spared.

Left Kisan and agricultural workers organisations had given a call for a protest action on an 18 point charter of demands highlighting the hardships imposed upon the people of West Bengal particularly in the rural areas and demanding that the state government implement pro-people measures. Subsequently, Left mass organisations and the West Bengal Left Front expressed their solidarity with this action and joined the protest.

The protest was peaceful. The leaders went to handover the memorandum which was not allowed by the authorities. Subsequently, the tens of thousands who had collected there were barricaded to ensure that there is no escape route and brutal attack was launched through water cannons and lathi charge. Male police assaulted and roughed up women protesters.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns this anti-democratic attitude of the Trinamul Congress state government and the chief minister who is disregarding the issues of growing hardships being imposed on the livelihood of the people of West Bengal.

If the state government believes that through such brutality, protests will be crushed in West Bengal, then the least that can be said is that these are entirely misplaced.  The people of West Bengal will continue to rise in protest and immediate protest actions will take place all over the state against this police brutality.