Kolkata Traffic Police on Tuesday stopped and temporarily seized an Indian Army truck in a high-profile incident near the city’s former state secretariat, Writers’ Building. The event, which occurred in the BBD Square area, is the latest development in an escalating series of public disputes between the state’s authorities and the armed forces.
The incident unfolded directly in front of the convoy of City Police Commissioner Manoj Verma. According to a senior police official, the Army truck, which was on its way from the Eastern Command headquarters at Fort William to the passport office, was flagged for “dangerous driving.”
Conflicting Accounts of the Incident
Police officials claim the truck driver ignored warnings to slow down while driving in close proximity to the commissioner’s vehicles. “The driver… allegedly ignored police warnings to slow down his ‘dangerous driving,’ prompting officers to stop the vehicle,” a senior official stated.
However, an Army jawan present in the truck offered a differing viewpoint. He contended that the vehicle had already reduced its speed to safely execute a turn when it was intercepted. The soldier further claimed that the police’s justification for the stop was merely the truck’s proximity to the police commissioner’s convoy. He confirmed that the incident has been reported to the military’s chain of command.
Following the stop, officers from the Hare Street Police Station arrived and formally seized the truck. After an hour-long standoff, police officials released the vehicle, which then returned to the Eastern Command Headquarters, Vijay Durg.
Political Context: A Day After Trinamool Protest Disruption
This traffic incident follows closely on the heels of a separate, politically charged confrontation between the Trinamool Congress and the Indian Army. Just one day earlier, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee publicly accused the Central government of “misusing” the Army. This accusation came after Army jawans dismantled a stage that the Trinamool Congress had erected to protest alleged mistreatment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in states governed by the BJP.
The Army’s action took place in the Maidan area of central Kolkata, which falls under its jurisdiction. Upon learning of the Army’s move to dismantle the protest stage, Chief Minister Banerjee quickly arrived at the scene to protest. The Army personnel subsequently ceased their actions and left the area.
The events have raised concerns about the growing public discord between the state government and the military, with the latest traffic incident adding to the charged atmosphere.