{"id":122837,"date":"2024-08-28T06:55:38","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T06:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/28\/watch-saffron-clad-elderly-man-holding-national-flag-faces-water-cannons-at-nabanna-abhijan-protest-in-kolkata\/"},"modified":"2024-08-28T06:55:38","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T06:55:38","slug":"watch-saffron-clad-elderly-man-holding-national-flag-faces-water-cannons-at-nabanna-abhijan-protest-in-kolkata","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/28\/watch-saffron-clad-elderly-man-holding-national-flag-faces-water-cannons-at-nabanna-abhijan-protest-in-kolkata\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch: Saffron-clad elderly man holding national flag faces water cannons at ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ protest in Kolkata"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Watch:<\/div>\n
A video of an elderly man in saffron<\/a> attire facing water cannons while holding the national flag during the ‘Nabanna Abhijan<\/a>‘ protest<\/a> in Kolkata has gone viral. The protests, organized in response to the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, saw participants marching to the Bengal Secretariat. While the Bharatiya Janata Party<\/a> (BJP) hailed the man’s “spirit of defiance,” the Trinamool Congress<\/a> (TMC) questioned why he was at a students’ protest.<\/p>\n

Footage shows the elderly man signaling the Kolkata Police to wear bangles, an act interpreted by many as challenging their authority. The ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’ protest attracted a sizable crowd at College Square, leading to an escalation in tensions when police employed lathi-charge, water cannons, and tear gas to manage the crowd. The police claimed protesters broke barricades and pelted stones, prompting their response.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u2014 amitmalviya (@amitmalviya) <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

BJP leaders widely shared the viral video, praising the man’s actions. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya referred to the video on his X (formerly Twitter) account, calling it “the ultimate symbol of defiance.”<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u2014 Deshi_Donald (@Deshi_Donald) <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe man, waving a national flag, on the iconic Howrah bridge, amidst blazing water cannon, is the ultimate symbol of defiance against an oppressive Mamata Banerjee<\/a> regime,\u201d Malviya wrote.<\/p>\n

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also commented on the video, comparing it to the Tiananmen Square incident in China.<\/p>\n

“Mamata\u2019s Tiananmen Square,” Poonawalla stated.The general secretary of West Bengal BJP, Locket Chatterjee, also shared the video, decrying the TMC’s rule.”End anarchy, end fascism. We all demand the end of TMC’s tyranny. With the Tiranga in hand amid blasting water cannons, this man is defining his steadfast determination against the oppression of @MamataOfficial,” Chatterjee wrote on his X handle.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, TMC leaders questioned the elderly man’s motives and presence in the protest, categorizing him among the “hooligans of BJP.” TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghosh sarcastically questioned his participation.<\/p>\n

“Is that a student of the ‘WB Chatra Samaj’? #justasking,” Ghosh posted.<\/p>\n

TMC spokesperson Riju Datta also labeled the protesters as hooligans linked to the BJP. Datta’s statement was clear and condemning.<\/p>\n

“Let me be very clear\u2026 These are NOT Students\u2026 These are Hooligans of BJP\u2026 They wanted \u201cDead Bodies\u201d, they wanted to create a Anarchy like Bangladesh in Bengal. They pelted stones at police, broke barricades, destroyed police vehicles, set fire to motorcycles, multiple police badly injured, IC Chanditala head split wide open\u2026 This will NOT BE TOLERATED!” Datta stated.<\/p>\n

The protest and its resulting tension have highlighted the deep-rooted political divide and the volatile atmosphere in West Bengal. Both parties continue to use the incident to bolster their political narratives, pointing fingers at each other for the unrest and its underlying causes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n