Fresh tension gripped central Kolkata on Sunday after protests against the newly enforced restrictions on roadside namaz and loudspeaker volume spiralled into violent clashes between members of the Muslim community and police personnel in the busy Park Circus area. What began as a demonstration soon turned chaotic after protestors blocked a section of Park Street, triggering a confrontation with the police force already stationed in the area.

According to officials, police had received prior information about the protest gathering near the Park Circus Seven Point crossing and had deployed a large security presence in advance to prevent any disruption of public movement. However, the crowd allegedly went ahead with an illegal road blockade, bringing traffic movement to a standstill in one of Kolkata’s busiest stretches.

As police personnel moved in to remove the blockade and reopen the road, tempers quickly rose. Protestors reportedly entered into heated arguments with officers on duty, and within moments, the situation escalated violently. Stones and bricks were allegedly hurled at police teams as well as vehicles standing nearby. Visuals from the area showed shattered windscreens and damaged vehicles scattered across the road after the attack.

Police confirmed that three hired police vehicles suffered major damage during the stone pelting. At least three policemen were injured during the clash, while several private vehicles parked along the roadside were also vandalised in the violence. The intensity of the attack forced police personnel wearing riot-control gear to retaliate with a lathi charge in an attempt to disperse the gathering and restore order in the area.

The violence unfolded near the sensitive Park Circus Seven Point junction, an area that often witnesses heavy traffic and dense public movement. Witnesses described scenes of panic as stones and bricks flew across the road while police attempted to push the crowd back. Traffic movement in the surrounding stretches was severely affected during the confrontation before authorities gradually brought the situation under control.

Following the clash, additional police forces were rushed to the location to prevent the violence from spreading further. Security deployment in and around Park Circus was significantly increased, and police later conducted flag marches across Park Circus and other identified sensitive pockets of the city to maintain order and send a message of strict enforcement.

Officials stated that several individuals involved in the violence had been arrested. Senior officers were also instructed to ensure strict implementation of the newly introduced public-order regulations linked to roadside religious activities and loudspeaker usage.

The latest violence comes amid an ongoing confrontation over the state government’s recent restrictions on public religious gatherings on roads. The tensions had first surfaced on Friday, May 15, in Kolkata’s Rajabazar area during Jumma prayers. During that incident, police teams had attempted to enforce the government’s directive against offering prayers on public roads and against the use of loudspeakers at high volume levels.

That earlier confrontation had also witnessed scuffles between protestors and police personnel. Slogans of “Allahu Akbar” were raised during the standoff before police eventually carried out a lathi charge to clear the blocked roads and restore movement in the area.

The BJP-led government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, which assumed power after the 2026 Assembly elections, has intensified its crackdown on roadside religious activities across the state. The administration has argued that roads cannot be occupied for religious purposes if it affects public movement and law and order.

BJP MLA Arjun Singh strongly defended the government’s stand and stated that roadside namaz would no longer be permitted under the new policy. He said, “Namaz will not be allowed in the streets. Let them pray at mosques, but on the streets, it won’t be tolerated.” The government has also introduced similar restrictions concerning loudspeaker volume and public religious gatherings conducted in open spaces.