Kolkata police stopped an Indian Army truck near the Writers’ Buildings for an alleged wrongful turn on Tuesday morning, a day after Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of using the army to dismantle a stage set up by the Trinamool for a protest against harassment of Bengalis across the country.

The Hare Street police station cops said the army truck was being driven “recklessly”, had jumped a signal and also ignored a "no-right turn" notice, after which it was stopped by on-duty traffic policemen.

The official vehicle of the Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma was behind the truck when it took the turn. The truck was reportedly heading towards Fort William, the headquarters of the Eastern Command.

At the time of writing this report, senior army officers were at the Hare Street police station to sort out the matter.

The tussle between the Kolkata Police and the Indian Army came a day after army troops had dismantled a stage set by the Trinamool Congress over a month ago for its language movement protest.

Army officers at Hare Street police station after Kolkata Police stop an Army truck nera Writer's Building for violating traffic rules. Picture by: Soumyajit Dey.

Since Mamata’s call for the movement against attacks on Bengali-speaking labourers in BJP-ruled states, Trinamool leaders and workers have been holding protest meetings at the dais near the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road over the weekends.

“All of you can see that we started the Bhasha Andolan (Language Movement) here against the torture on Bengal and Bengalis. But they dismantled the stage,” Mamata had said in an impromptu address after news of the dismantling of the dais reached her.

“The army has done it. I have no anger whatsoever against the army. We have the greatest love for them, we are proud of them. But they should have known that we are not blocking any roads, and our events here took place only during the weekends, for which we have permission,” she had said.

The defence ministry in a statement released Monday said that the permission for the protest was given for two days. For any programmes held for longer duration within the Maidan area, which is under the jurisdiction of the army, permission has to be taken from the ministry.

“Permission for the conduct of events was provided for two days. However, the stage has been put up for almost a month. Several reminders have been sent to the organisers for the removal of the temporary structure. However, it was not removed,” the statement read.

About Tuesday’s incident the army has denied that its vehicle was involved in any rash driving.

A statement is likely to come from the defence ministry after the meeting with the Kolkata Police representatives at the Hare Street police station.