NEW DELHI: Former West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that she was kept ‘under police watch’ as if she was under ‘house arrest’ and accused the police of violating a Calcutta high court order by failing to ensure the peaceful conduct of a protest march over the alleged rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur.Addressing party workers during the protest rally in Kolkata, Mamata said she was ‘not blaming the BJP’ but the administration for allegedly failing to maintain law and order despite the court’s permission for the march. “I am not blaming the BJP; I am blaming the administration. They should have taken moral responsibility so that we could have held the rally peacefully. Instead, they allowed BJP workers, who beat our workers,” she said.Her remarks came a day after the Calcutta high court allowed the Trinamool Youth Congress to hold the rally after setting aside a Kolkata Police communication denying permission.The high court had permitted the march with several conditions, including a revised route, restricted timings, a cap of 1,000 participants, no loudspeakers, use of handheld microphones and keeping one side of the road open for traffic.The protest was organised over the alleged rape and murder of the minor girl in Baruipur, an incident that has sparked widespread outrage in West Bengal.Claiming that women protesters were also attacked, Mamata added, “Women were beaten. We had the court’s order. The BJP threatened us this morning as well… The police have become BJP cadres.”She further questioned the police’s handling of the protest, saying, “The Calcutta high court allowed our rally, but BJP goons stopped it. How can the police undermine the court order allowing the TMC rally? BJP goons beat up our workers during the protest march.”The TMC chief also alleged that she was being prevented from carrying out political activities.“I am being kept under police watch as if I am under house arrest,” she said, adding that the “West Bengal Police have become an arm of the BJP.”Addressing the gathering, Mamata also accused the police of failing to act where crimes against women were taking place.“We all know how you came to power… the police are keeping a watch on us here, yet they are nowhere to be found where atrocities against women are taking place. Rampage and chaos are unfolding across the entire area, from Kalighat and my residence to Ballygunge. Is this the ‘change’ the people of Bengal wanted?” she said.She said the rally had been held only after obtaining permission from the high court but alleged that participants were attacked despite the court’s order.“We have to seek court permission for rallies. We held the rally after obtaining court approval, yet you saw how people were attacked. Those who loot money in the name of Ram should be ashamed… do not tarnish the name of Ram,” Mamata said.Alleging a breakdown of law and order, TMC chief said, “Law and order here has completely collapsed—the situation is worse than even that of Uttar Pradesh. How did the police violate the High Court’s approval for the rally? This amounts to contempt of court. They have failed to provide security to the people. They simply attack our workers; I condemn the BJP.”The controversy comes amid political tensions over the Baruipur case. The victim’s body was recovered from a pond on July 5 after she allegedly went missing a day earlier. Police have alleged that the minor was gang-raped, murdered and her body stuffed into a sack before being dumped in the water. The incident triggered widespread protests, while the investigation took another turn on Wednesday after one of the main accused was killed in a police encounter during a crime scene reconstruction exercise. Opposition parties, including leaders from the TMC, have questioned the encounter and demanded accountability.
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