The groups claimed that the “historic ground” in Kolkata had been maligned by the provocative “goli maro” slogan raised by some BJP workers while they were on their way to the rally venue on Sunday. (IE photo)

The students’ wings of the CPI(M) and the Congress on Monday “purified” the Shahid Minar ground where Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a rally. The groups claimed that the “historic ground” in Kolkata had been maligned by the provocative “goli maro” slogan raised by some BJP workers while they were on their way to the rally venue on Sunday.

The Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Chhatra Parishad, students’ wings of the Left party and the Congress respectively, washed the base of the Shahid Minar (Martyrs’ Tower) with water and vowed not to allow communal forces disturb the harmony of the state.

“We along with the SFI jointly conducted a programme to purify the Shahid Minar ground. The historic ground had witnessed a lot of political programmes in the past but never before we had witnessed such communal rhetoric and slogans like goli maro,” Congress leader Subhankar Sarkar said.

A group of men allegedly shouted the incendiary “desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maro…” (shoot the traitors) slogan near Shahid Minar ground on their way to Shah’s rally. Three persons were arrested in this connection.