Kolkata, Feb 14 (PTI) Activists of 18 Left organisations, including the CPI(M), took out a rally in the city on Tuesday demanding unconditional release of Indian Secular Front (ISF) MLA Naushad Siddique and 17 other workers of his party, who were arrested last month during violent protests here.

CPI(M) leaders Biman Bose, Md Salim and Rabin Dev, along with those of Forward Bloc, the RSP and other Left-leaning youth wings, walked over four kilometres -- from Ramlila Ground in Moulali to Esplanade in the heart of the city -- during the day, shouting slogans against the "autocratic TMC-controlled government which is muzzling voices of opposition."

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Violence had broken out during an ISF meeting in Esplanade on January 21, prompting the police to resort to lathicharge and burst tear gas shells to disperse the agitators.

Siddique and 17 other ISF activists were subsequently arrested.

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Their bail pleas have been rejected more than once by the chief metropolitan magistrate.

Salim said the TMC regime wants to browbeat Siddique into submission as the young opposition MLA has emerged as the "symbol of real protest against TMC autocracy", much to the "embarrassment" of the Mamata Banerjee government.

"They first tried to intimidate him by carrying out attacks in his constituency Bhangar so that no one dares point finger at the misdeeds of TMC leaders in South 24 Parganas. As that ploy backfired and people showed support for the party during its rally in the city, the TMC regime incarcerated him indefinitely.

"We oppose this diabolical gameplan. We will organise a similar protest at Bhangar tomorrow," Salim told reporters.

He claimed that the BJP and TMC share similarities.

"Both parties comprise of opportunist and fascist people and Siddique is the sole voice of dissent in the House," Salim added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)