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Mob sets buses on fire in violent Kolkata protests
) A mob set ablaze three government buses in the city, as protests of auto-rickshaw drivers backed by the state's principal opposition Trinamool Congress continued on Saturday against a clampdown on two-stroke transport, banned by the Calcutta High Court for causing air pollution.
- IANS
- Published: 23:19 January 3, 2009
Kolkata: A mob set ablaze three government buses in the city, as protests of auto-rickshaw drivers backed by the state's principal opposition Trinamool Congress continued on Saturday against a clampdown on two-stroke transport, banned by the Calcutta High Court for causing air pollution.
The incidents at the Park Circus area sparked tension and threw traffic into confusion. The neighbourhood turned into a battleground, as the angry protesters damaged four buses despite the deployment of a large police contingent and Rapid action Force in the area.
"We've not been able to identify any of the agitators who suddenly came and set fire to government buses on busy streets," a police officer said.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee claimed that the state's ruling Left Front partner Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPM) cadres had set fire to the buses. "The CPM knows that the ground is slipping from under its feet. So, it is indulging in such violent activities. Setting buses afire is no solution. We didn't have any programme [yesterday] morning. And if it was our programme to set ablaze the buses, then we would have set fire to 1,000 buses," she said.
The police said three buses were torched near Park Circus No-4 Bridge, on AJC Bose Road and CIT Road-Ladies Park crossing respectively.
Meanwhile, commuters were greatly inconvenienced as the 12-hour Trinamool Congress-sponsored auto rickshaw and taxi strike saw most of these vehicles keeping away from the roads in protest against the court order and demanding release of 18 auto-drivers arrested on Friday for violence.
The protesters also forced auto and taxi operators who had brought out their vehicles to join the strike. At several points, agitators carrying bricks and canes stopped autos and taxis and forced the passengers to alight.
Jail custody
On Saturday, the courts remanded the 18 arrested to jail custody till January 16.
The Calcutta High Court issued an order last year to ban commercial vehicles registered before January 1, 1993, from Kolkata. An estimated 80,000 auto-rickshaws, 24,000 taxis and over 8,000 buses and mini-buses will be affected.
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