Trinamool Leader Questions Cancelling Durand Derby Over RG Kar Protests

(MENAFN- IANS) Kolkata, Aug 17 (IANS) Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh on Saturday questioned the move to cancel the Duran Cup group stage match between arch-rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan slated to be held at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday due to potential security issues arising over the widespread protests against the RG Kar rape-murder incident in the city.

According to sources, amid the protests in Kolkata against the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital last week, the police have said that providing extra security for the Derby clash will be a big challenge.

However, Trinamool leader Ghosh said the move will have more negative impact on the minds of the people of the state in the backdrop of the growing public grievances against the ghastly rape-murder incident.

According to Ghosh, the administration must reconsider the decision even if some spectators display 'We Want Justice' posters at the stadium during the much-anticipated match.

"The cancellation of the Derby will give the opposition parties, especially the CPI(M) and BJP, further ammunition to sensationalise the issue. Being a Mohun Bagan supporter and also a soldier of Trinamool Congress, I am sad with the decision to cancel the match," Ghosh said.

The decision to cancel the Derby was taken in the wake of the unrest in Kolkata which made arranging for adequate police deployment for the match a difficult proposition.

“Bengali sentiments are attached with Mohun Bagan-East Bengal Derby clashes which were ignored while taking the decision to cancel the match. I fully agree with Kunal Ghosh that this will complicate the situation further,” said a Trinamool legislator who did not wish to be named.

The opposition parties too have opposed the decision to cancel the match. According to CPI(M) state Secretary Md Salim, this decision shows how scared the state administration is because of the spontaneous protests across the state on the R.G. Kar issue.

The state BJP leadership is also claiming the decision proves that the Trinamool Congress and the state administration do not bother about the sentiments of the people.

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