A stormy Monday showed Calcutta heading into an uncertain Tuesday when a protest march is scheduled to take place demanding chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation over the RG Kar rape-murder horror..

The fear hanging over the city is real. Quite a few schools have curtailed classes. Some offices have told employees they can work from home.

The ruling Trinamul and the Bengal police spoke in one voice on Monday to denounce the proposed march to Nabanna, the state secretariat in Howrah, as illegal. Calcutta high court had earlier okayed the march.

The march has been called to seek the resignation of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is in charge of both home (police) and health – the two departments at the centre of the storm raging ever since the body of the brutalised young woman doctor was found on August 9.

The protesters have vowed to start around noon from College Square, Howrah Bridge and Santragachhi to converge at the state secretariat where the main protest is scheduled at 2pm.

Twice in the afternoon and later in the evening, Manoj Verma, additional director-general and inspector-general of police (law and order) and additional director-general of police (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar described the protest march as “illegal”.

In the morning, Trinamul spokespersons minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, Kunal Ghosh and Jai Prakash Majumdar had made similar allegations.

“We have received two emails,” Sarkar told the media. “One is from the Chhatra Samaj, which was not to seek any permission, but just an intimation. The letter does not provide all the information that are required to give permission to any such rally. Police has not granted any permission, the Chhatra Samaj march to Nabanna is illegal.”

Another organisation called the Sangrami Joutha Mancha had also asked for permission and fulfilled all the criteria, the ADG said, but they too were denied permission because there is a UGC-NET exam scheduled for Tuesday.

Threat of violence in Nabanna march

The main thrust of the police’s – and the Trinamul’s – argument against the march was the threat of violence.

“We are getting inputs from various sources that miscreants with vested interests are trying to create a law and order situation to provoke a response from police, which they would then exploit,” Verma had said in the afternoon.

Trinamul spokesperson Ghosh, addressing a media conference in the morning, had shared a video of three BJP functionaries from West Midnapore’s Ghatal where they are heard saying “bodies must fall” during the march to the state secretariat.

“A large conspiracy is on regarding tomorrow’s protest march. Those who have been rejected in the elections by the people are trying to involve central forces through violence… The BJP is playing body politics,” Ghosh claimed while sharing the videos.

He said if they asked for Mamata Banerjee’s resignation, “we will meet them in the Maidan and the people of the state will take care of them”.

The three BJP functionaries in the videos have been arrested.

Nabanna turns into fortress

The state has requisitioned for 13 officers of the rank of superintendents of police, and deputy commissioners of police, 15 officers in the rank of additional superintendent of police, 22 officers in the rank of deputy superintendents of police and 26 inspectors, from different districts to Howrah.

More than 1,500 assistant sub-inspectors, constables and traffic constables have been deployed since Monday evening, converting the state secretariat into a fortress.

Traffic restrictions have been imposed in large parts of Howrah.

Though the BJP is officially not a part of Tuesday’s march, many of its local level leaders in different parts of Calcutta are at the front of the Chhatra Samaj, a recently floated organisation about which little is known.

The organisation – that claims to be not affiliated to any political party but is believed to be a front linked to saffron organisations – had given the chief minister time till Monday 6 pm to tender her resignation.

BJP president and junior Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and other party leaders have thrown their weight behind the march without getting officially involved.

They have instead asked people to join in large numbers.

The Left’s students’, youth and women’s wing has officially distanced itself from the march.

One of the spearheads of the march, Sayan Lahiri, is a BJP leader from the Jadavpur area.

“One of the organisers on Sunday at 11.25 am went to the Hyatt Hotel and met a top politician,” ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar said. “The meeting coming so close to Tuesday’s march raises suspicions.”

While the Chhatra Samaj leaders were holding a news conference in the evening at the Press Club, questions were hurled at one of the organisers who is allegedly accused in a molestation case. The event quickly turned chaotic.

"We are not used to handling the media nor do we have a PR team. This is not a political movement but a spontaneous movement," Lahiri said.

Last week, during its suo motu hearing on the rape and murder of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud had expressed concern over the state’s action on protesters, including doctors.

“We are very concerned, let not the power of the state of West Bengal be unleashed on the protestors,” the CJI had said.