TMC, BJP lock horns over attack on Howrah lawyers

Howrah: With less than 10 days left before Howrah go to polls, the BJP tried to make political gains out of Wednesday’s clash between lawyers of Howrah court and civic staff. BJP’s Howrah Lok Sabha candidate Rantideb Sengupta alleged that police broke laws by entering the court premises on Wednesday. Lawyers were brutally assaulted by police on the court premises, Sengupta alleged.
He also alleged, “People came out of the Trinamool union office at the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) headquarters and attacked lawyers. The attackers carried Trinamool flags. We don’t condone either the police brutality or the attack on lawyers by Trinamool workers. We are, therefore, backing the agitation by lawyers.” Trinamool Congress, however, rubbished the allegations.
Sengupta led other Howrah BJP leaders, party workers and supporters — all wearing black badges — in a silent procession from Howrah Maidan to the district magistrate bungalow in support of the lawyers’ agitation on Saturday.
Trinamool’s Sushovan Chatterjee, however, rejected claims by Sengupta that lawyers were with the BJP. “The BJP just can’t get any mileage out of this situation. BJP is engaging in lies. Anyone can carry a Trinamool flag. That doesn’t prove they are Trinamool members. Our party was in no way involved in this clash.”
Howrah District Criminal Bar Association secretary Gautam Chatterjee said, “One doesn’t become a lawyer by simply donning a white shirt and black trousers. This is a lawyers’ movement and it is absolutely apolitical.”
The lawyers’ movement has spread across Bengal. Howrah rural BJP president Anupam Mallick said, “People across Howrah are facing severe harassment because of the lawyers’ strike. People can’t get any work done in either Howrah or Uluberia courts. They can’t file affidavits or get hold of stamp papers for registering property transfers. We are explaining to people through our campaign that Trinamool is responsible for this state of affairs as ruling party men attacked the lawyers.”
Trinamool’s Uluberia South MLA Pulak Ray said, “BJP is trying to mislead people. But the party is not getting any response from voters.”