The march called by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) to Bikash Bhavan, the headquarters of the West Bengal education department in Salt Lake, turned tense on Tuesday (August 19) as Kolkata Police resorted to lathicharge and detained several student protesters.

The demonstration was organised to demand clarity on college admissions, the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), and the commencement of classes.

Before the main protest could begin, SFI state committee member Subhajit Sarkar and another leader, Akash Kar, were detained by police.

Condemning the action, Sarkar told news agency PTI, “We had called for a peaceful gathering outside Bikash Bhavan to submit a deputation regarding when college classes will begin and when the JEE results will be declared. Before the programme even started, police detained me and my comrade Akash Kar.”

The main procession, originally scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., was delayed due to the initial crackdown. It finally started from Karunamoyee around 2:30 p.m. and reached Bikash Bhavan, protesters said. As the march advanced, police moved in, lathicharging the students and making multiple detentions to disperse the crowd.

Authorities later maintained that no permission had been granted for the protest, leading to the preventive measures taken by the police.

The SFI, however, accused the police of suppressing a peaceful demonstration and vowed to continue its agitation until the government provides answers on admissions, JEE results, and the academic calendar.