Zero tolerance, Suvendu tells cops after visit to Park Circus trouble spot

Kolkata: Attacks on cops during protests — especially stone-pelting of the kind witnessed in Kashmir earlier — will not be tolerated in Bengal, CM Suvendu Adhikari said in Park Circus on Monday. The comment came a day after six cops and two CAPF men were injured in violence at Park Circus during a protest against "bulldozer action in Tiljala".Repeating the govt's "zero-tolerance" message, Adhikari said: "Any political or religious organisation can hold its programme with police notification. But chanting religious slogans and throwing stones... this has stopped in Srinagar and the rest of Kashmir. I believe it will stop in Bengal and Kolkata, too... In Bengal, some people started thinking that no one can touch them. But that was in the past. If a cop gets injured, home minister will not sit in his AC room. He will ensure that the culprit gets the maximum punishment." Adhikari holds the home portfolio, too.So far, 38 have been arrested for the violence, Adhikari said, adding this was "the first and last attack on police" during the tenure of BJP govt in the state. The attack, he said, was a "planned one".He visited office of DCP (south-east) at Park Circus seven-point crossing around 1.45 pm and reviewed the situation with senior officers. He also spoke to injured cops. Among those injured were assistant commissioner (south-east) Chitradeep Pandey, inspector Rajesh Kumar Singh (OC, Beniapukur), ASI Shyamal Kumar Ghosh, constable Shahzada Sheikh, constable Tarun Kumar Das and civic volunteer Anirban Majumdar. "I have also come to support KP, which did a splendid job. I told them to work fearlessly. Your CM... is with you. Your CP is with you," said Adhikari.The CM's message to protesters: "I request you not to repeat these actions. If you think the previous govt is still in office and old rules still apply, you are mistaken. I am sending a clear message: there will be zero tolerance. We will not allow anti-national or anti-social activities." He warned that if any cop is harmed, govt will take all legal actions. "We will not just arrest, but closely monitor the case till conviction. I urge our police friends... you do not need to see who is attached to which party, who is from which community, who is influential... If such events occur again, there will be no worse home minister than me," he said. He also said if people want, they can file written plaints against cops.