West Bengal: Police lift GCPA's railroad blockade in New Cooch Behar
Demanding ‘C’ category (centrally administered) statehood for Cooch Behar district, a huge number of protesters, led by GCPA leaders, had blocked the railway tracks at New Cooch Behar station since Saturday.
Rail-service between north-eastern states and the rest part of India was partly disrupted for days.
The Indian Railways managed to run few trains through an alternative route but a large number of trains were cancelled during the blockade.
At least three passengers fell sick and died in last four days of the blockade.
Agitators declared not to lift their blockade until a delegation from the Centre meets them.
However, the DG (Intelligence Branch) of West Bengal Police, Raj Kanojia visited the spot on Tuesday morning and decided to lift the blockade.
A huge police force went to the spot in the afternoon and started miking to withdraw the blockade. When protesters started brick batting, aiming at the police force, police resorted to lathicharge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse them.
Protesters allegedly threw bombs aiming at the police. Few protesters and policemen were injured in the clash.
Police arrested several protesters, including one GCPA leader Bhabesh Barman, from the spot.
"We did not resort to lathicharge at first. We requested the protesters to clear the tracks. But they suddenly started 'unprovoked' brick batting, aiming at us. We had to lathicharge them and lob tear gas shells to bring the situation under control and to sanitize the area. Few cops have been injured. We booked several agitators for blocking rail-tracks, damaging government properties and attacking the police," one senior official of West Bengal police told IBNS.
However, the situation has been brought under control. The railway-tracks are being cleared now and rail-service in that line is going to be normal.
Meanwhile, another leader of GCPA, Bangshi Badan Barman said, "The Centre has assured us to discuss on this matter soon. We have decided to withdraw rail-blockade temporarily. But our movement will be strengthened in the future, If the Center does not keep their promise."
(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
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