Heightened security in eastern India as bus drivers don helmets amid fears of violence during protests
by Aditi VermaKolkata witnessed tightened security as bus drivers and conductors wore helmets amid a 12-hour ‘Bengal Bandh’ called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The bandh, a response to alleged police brutality during a protest rally, has prompted widespread deployment of police to prevent violence in the city.
The incident took place in Kolkata on August 28.
Visuals showed a government bus driver, seated at the wheel, wearing a helmet while driving. His expression shows focus and caution, complying with safety measures during a tense protest environment.
Security measures were intensified across Kolkata on Wednesday following a 12-hour ‘Bengal Bandh’ called by the BJP. The strike was organized in response to alleged police brutality during Tuesday’s ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ protest rally, which saw clashes between police and demonstrators on the Howrah Bridge as they marched toward the West Bengal State Secretariat, Nabanna.
The bandh comes amid ongoing protests against the alleged murder and sexual assault of a female trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. This incident has sparked widespread outrage and demonstrations across the country.
In anticipation of potential violence, authorities in Kolkata instructed bus drivers and conductors to wear helmets while on duty. Drivers from the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) in Cooch Behar were also seen complying with the directive. “We are wearing helmets because of the bandh today. The department has given us the helmets,” one driver stated, while another expressed concerns about the discomfort of wearing helmets while driving.
Dendup Sherpa, Additional Superintendent of Police for Uttar Dinajpur district, reported that police personnel were deployed throughout the state to maintain law and order. Security forces had previously used tear gas, water cannons, and lathi charges to disperse protestors on Tuesday.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused the BJP of inciting violence during the protests. In a statement posted on social media platform X, TMC alleged, “BJP’s idea of a ‘peaceful protest’: Pelt stones, push barricades, severely injure police, orchestrate extreme chaos, and disrupt the law and order of the state.”