84 ISF members, MLA Nawsad Siddique granted bail day after arrest for staging protest

Kolkata, Aug 21 (IANS) As many as 84 Indian Secular Front (ISF) members including its MLA Nawsad Siddique were granted bail on Thursday, a day after their arrest for staging a protest in Kolkata.

Today, they were produced in a Bankshal court where a judge granted bail to each of them.

Initially, everyone including Nawsad Siddique was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 500, but later, the bond was waived.

On Wednesday, ISF workers led by Nawsad Siddique were arrested by the police for holding a demonstration at Kolkata's Metro Channel in Esplanade area over several issues.

The ISF activists were protesting against the Election Commission of India's (ECI's) proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR), atrocities on Bengali migrant workers outside West Bengal, the Waqf Amendment Act and the OBC certificate issue.

However, as the protesters did not have permission for the demonstration, police arrested about 84 ISF members, including Siddique.

The ISF MLA alleged that he was physically assaulted by the policemen and punched in the chest.

The cops registered a case against the arrested people in two police stations in Kolkata. They were accused of damaging government property, blocking roads and obstructing the work of government officials.

Firdous Shamim, the lawyer who appeared for the arrested ISF activists, said, "There are many among the arrested people who are government employees. There are teachers and lawyers. There are two engineers of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited. The ISF supporters went to Esplanade area to protest against several issues. The police used force to disperse them. The MLA will cooperate in the investigation. After hearing our argument, the court granted them bail."

There was a large gathering of ISF supporters outside the court on Thursday before the arrested workers were produced before the court. They were demanding the release of MLA Siddique and other workers.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, ISF activists held protests in parts of West Bengal, demanding the release of the party’s lone MLA Siddique and several others.

ISF workers also burnt tyres in North 24 Parganas district's Haroa area to protest against the arrest of Siddique and several party activists.

The police made heavy security arrangements and set up barricades outside the Bankshal Court to prevent ISF supporters from entering the premises.

--IANS

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