Lathi-charge in Tiljala, tension arises as Nawsad Siddique joins anti-bulldozer protest

The demolition of an "illegal" multi-storey building in Kolkata's Tiljala area continued on Thursday, leading to a confrontation between locals and law enforcement. The drive was ordered by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari following a tragic fire at a leather goods factory on GJ Khan Road earlier this week, which claimed two lives and left several others injured.

As JCB machines and payloaders began tearing down the structure, which authorities claim lacked any approved building plan or fire safety measures, the atmosphere in the congested neighborhood turned increasingly hostile. The tension reached a breaking point with the arrival of Indian Secular Front (ISF) leader Nawsad Siddique, who visited the site to support local residents protesting the "bulldozer action".

Siddique’s presence galvanized a large crowd of onlookers and supporters, who gathered to resist the civic authorities' efforts. As the assembly grew larger and more vocal, police and central paramilitary forces—already stationed at the site to maintain order—were forced to use lathi-charges to disperse the crowd and clear the area for the demolition machinery.