Police charged batons and used water cannons to disperse DYFI supporters who took out a march to Uttarkanya, the north Bengal branch secretariat, in Siliguri on Friday afternoon.

The youth wing of the CPM organised the march to protest against unemployment in Bengal.

When the police prevented the marchers with barricades, the DYFI activists squatted on Asian Highway 2 at Tinbatti More, a prominent crossing in the city.

Twenty-nine DYFI leaders and supporters, including state president Minakshi Mukherjee, were detained during the protest.

“We organised the march to Uttarkanya to raise questions against the state over unemployment. The youths in Bengal have a bleak future,” said Mukherjee.

Uttarkanya is located around a kilometre from Tinbatti More, off AH2.

“The police stopped our peaceful march and did not let us reach the secretariat. When we sat on the road and launched a protest, they used water cannons and resorted to a lathi charge to disperse us. This is unacceptable,” the DYFI leader added.

The DYFI supporters also raised slogans against the allegedly poor state of affairs in the tea industry, health and education.

In the afternoon, the DYFI supporters assembled in Jalpai More, another crossing ahead of Tinbatti More.

Around 500 of them started marching along AH2 around 3pm, led by Mukherjee and other leaders. They had to stop as the Siliguri Metropolitan Police had barricaded the road to prevent the march from heading towards Uttarkanya.

When the protesters shouted slogans and tried to breach the barricade, the police announced that the gathering was illegal and that they should leave the spot.

The DYFI supporters remained nonchalant and squatted on the road. Around 4.15pm, a section of them tried to breach the barricade again. Some of them allegedly pelted the police with stones.

The law enforcers then used the water cannons and the batons to disperse the protesters. Tear gas shells were also fired to control the situation.

Mukherjee, along with 28 others, were picked up and whisked away to Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri police stations.

“They were repeatedly asked to leave the spot, and it was made clear that they would not be allowed to march to Uttarkanya. When they pelted the police with stones and tried to forcibly move forward, we used water cannons and chased them away from the spot,” said Biswachand Thakur, the deputy commissioner (traffic) of the SMP.

Traffic was halted along a stretch of AH2 for over four hours because of the protest. Vehicles were diverted through the Eastern Bypass and other routes.

After the protesters dispersed, the police removed the barricades. Around 5pm, traffic resumed through Tinbatti More and the adjoining stretch of AH2.

Speaking about the march, Trinamool Congress leaders have scoffed at the DYFI and the CPM.

“The CPM is desperately trying to stay relevant in Bengal politics. That is why it engaged the youths to create tension here today. But police have successfully prevented it,” said a senior TMC functionary in Siliguri.