Congress party holds Kolkata rally against worker abuses and hawker evictions

The Story in Brief

On Wednesday, 5 August 2026, Congress leaders and workers held a “Lalbazaar Satyagraha” march in Kolkata towards the Kolkata Police headquarters to protest alleged atrocities on party workers, eviction of hawkers, and police action against students. The march began at College Street and proceeded to Lalbazaar, with hundreds taking part, including West Bengal Congress state president Subhankar Sarkar and leader Prakash Joshi. Participants said many Congress workers were attacked while travelling to a July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally, with several admitted to hospital, and demanded strict action and an impartial inquiry. Mr Sarkar said protesters would not scuffle with police but would sit in where the march was stopped, and alleged that Bharatiya Janta Party workers had taken police batons and were dominating people.

Senior leader Suman Roy Chaudhuri called for an investigation, saying the police minister Suvendu Adhikari had not ordered an impartial probe. Police placed barricades near Bentinck Street crossing and stopped the march; Congress workers offered flowers and chocolates to the police. State government minister and BJP leader Sharadwat Mukherjee said Congress was trying new ways to stay relevant.

The Indian Opinion

The article records clear allegations of violence, partisan control of police and a call for inquiry, alongside a terse rebuttal from a government minister. The strongest claims – that party workers attacked protesters and that BJP workers are effectively using police powers – come from party leaders and are consequential; they require independent verification. The minister’s comment labelling the protest an attempt to stay relevant is a political counterclaim but does not address the factual questions raised.

An ordinary reader would note competing narratives and the absence of cited independent investigation or police response to the specific allegations. A neutral takeaway is that the disputed events warrant an impartial, transparent inquiry and clear public reporting so claims and counterclaims can be assessed on evidence rather than rhetoric.

Original article: Congress rally in Kolkata against atrocities on workers, hawker evictions (The Hindu)

This story was summarised and commented on by AI from the source linked above.