'Nabanna Abhijan' by Chhatra Samaj illegal, organisers did not seek permission: Bengal police

Kolkata: Describing the proposed August 27 'Nabanna Abhijan' rally by student outfit 'Chhatra Samaj' to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the rape-murder of a doctor at R G Kar hospital as "illegal", West Bengal Police on Monday said they have taken necessary precautionary measures due to concerns about potential law and order issues during the march.

Talking to reporters, West Bengal additional director general and inspector-general of police (law and order) Manoj Verma said no individual or organisation has sought permission to hold such a rally to the state secretariat, 'Nabanna,' which is a restricted area.

The government has already imposed prohibitory orders near Nabanna under Section 163 of BNSS preventing the assembly of five or more persons.

"We have learned about the 'Nabanna Abhijan' rally through various media channels and social media. To date, neither any individual nor organisation has applied for permission, making the event illegal," Verma told reporters.

He emphasised that since Nabanna is a restricted area, any planned event there requires police approval, which is rarely granted.

Verma also noted that police have received intelligence suggesting attempts to incite large-scale violence and chaos on August 27 during the rally.

"We are getting inputs from various sources that miscreants with vested interests are trying to create a law and order situation to provoke a response from police, which they would then exploit," he said.

Verma assured that police are working on these inputs and expressed willingness to assist the organisers if they choose an alternative location for their event.

"We are prepared to make arrangements for them at other venues in Kolkata and Howrah, provided they follow legal procedures," he said.

Additionally, Verma assured students appearing for Tuesday's UGC NET exams that ample arrangements are in place to ensure they can take the tests without any disruptions.