Violence erupts as police, protesters clash at CJP-Left students’ rally in Kolkata

Violent clashes broke out in Kolkata’s Esplanade area on Friday (July 24, 2026), leaving several people injured as police used tear gas and baton-charged protesters during a march demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.Held in solidarity with the protests in Delhi, thousands of supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party and various Left-affiliated student organisations took to the streets, demanding Mr. Pradhan’s resignation, justice for students injured during the police action at Jantar Mantar earlier this week, and the immediate dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA).The march began at Sealdah railway station and drew students and people from different sections of society.Thousands walk to protest“The education system is unfair, we are only asking for a fair system which is accessible for every student, and we have a better future,” Udita Goswami, a 23-year-old student of Zoology and protestor at the rally told The Hindu as she raised slogans. Protesters raised slogans such as “Inquilab Zindabad”, “Dharmendra Pradhan must resign”, and “Modi jab jab darta hai, police ko aage karta hai” (Whenever Modi is scared, he puts the police forward) as the procession moved from Sealdah to Esplanade.Apart from the students, several elderly also extended their support to the young ones. A 47-year-old engineer, Garima Kundu, arrived at the protest with a poster reading: ‘Dharmendra Pradha RIP (Resignation is pending). Ms. Kundu, who has a 12-year-old daughter, said that she came to join this movement for her child. “She is a school-going girl. One day, she will grow up and would want to build a good career for herself. What would she get out of this education system? With these people like Mr. Pradhan in the chair, my daughter will never be able to establish herself. I don’t want that,” she said. Several protesters also expressed solidarity with students injured during the police action in Delhi. Many carried portraits of Bhagat Singh, B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, copies of the Constitution’s Preamble, Ambedkar’s writings and George Orwell’s 1984, along with hand-painted placards.National flags and songs such as We Shall Overcome and Give Me Some Sunshine accompanied the march.“How can any government be so brutal on its people? What happened in Jantar Mantar is barbaric and unacceptable and has never been seen before in Independent India. I have come here to support the young people and speak against the government’s atrocities,” a 66-year-old Prabir Saha, who has a small business in Kolkata. Chaos eruptsThe protest turned violent after demonstrators reached Esplanade and began a sit-in at Dorina Crossing. Police attempted to disperse the crowd, using batons and firing tear gas shells, according to officials.Some protesters responded by throwing shoes and bottles at the police. Several protesters, police personnel and journalists were injured in the clashes. Rapid Action Force (RAF) and paramilitary personnel were later deployed to restore order.The protesters later announced an indefinite sit-in protest at the Rani Rashmani Road until Mr. Pradhan resignsAdditional Police Commissioner of Kolkata, Kunal Aggarwal, said that a few people were reportedly injured, though the exact number was yet to be ascertained. He said that the situation is under control now and that the police were in talks with the protesters to clear the area and reduce any inconvenience for the commuters. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari described the protesters as “anti-national” and said such activities would not be tolerated in West Bengal.“In just 10 weeks, we will drive these anti nationals out of Bengal. If you want to stay here, such activities will not be accepted. I heard that the students from the hostel of Jadavpur University were forced to join this rally. We will not allow this,” he told reporters. Several BJP leaders also painted the protest as an act of ‘hooliganism’ and an attempt to heckle the journalists. The party’s spokesperson condemned an attack on two journalists during the protest. “This is not a protest, it is hooliganism by people who has nothing to do with education,” he said. Former Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, extended her support to the ongoing nationwide protest condemning the brutal police crackdown on the protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. She praised young students for their indomitable spirit, unwavering courage, and refusal to bow before lathis, intimidation or the abuse of state power.She questioned the government’s attempt to shield the Education Minister instead of answering the questions raised by students across the country.“So fearful is the Union Government of a peaceful democratic movement that it reportedly suspended internet services in and around Jantar Mantar and invoked the draconian National Security Act (NSA) to carry out preventive detentions of students - The very future of our nation. .. If those accused of destroying the future of lakhs of students continue to escape accountability, who is the government really protecting?” she said.