India News | Left Protests Fake COVID Vaccine Camps

Kolkata, Jun 28 (PTI) Activists of several Left-backed organisations staged a protest outside Swastha Bhawan, where the states health department is housed on Monday, alleging links between Trinamool Congress leaders and conman Debanjan Deb who organised fake COVID vaccination camps in Kolkata.

Members of the CPI(M)-backed Democratic Youth Federation of India and other youth organisations demanded that police expedite its probe in the case.

Protesters raised slogans against the Mamata Banerjee government outside the Health Department headquarters in Salt Lake before being bundled into police vehicles.

A scuffle also broke out between the police and protesters as the main entrance was barricaded, officials said.

A group of Left activists also demonstrated near the Kolkata Municipal Corporation headquarters, situated in central Kolkata over the issue.

The protestors tried to block a major thoroughfare, alleging nexus between Deb, officials of the civic body and Trinamools KMC ward coordinators. The police swiftly removed them.

Condemning police action, CPIM state committee Secretary Suryakanta Mishra said students, youth, women and trade union wings will continue to hold demonstrations outside police stations across West Bengal.

"We condemn the brutal police attack on our youth activists including women during peaceful demonstrations. In sharp contrast, this government is doing little to bring confidence about vaccination (or to) take exemplary action against those who are involved in the fake (vaccination) racket," Mishra said.

Deb was arrested a few days back for masquerading as the joint commissioner of the KMC and running fake immunisation camps.

(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)