Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are the fiercest of rivals on the pitch. And the same intensity or even more is endorsed between the fans of the two arch-rivalling Kolkata Giants. But 18th August 2024, saw a different scene. The iconic Kolkata Derby was slated to take place in the Durand Cup. With the fixture getting cancelled a day prior, thousands of fans from both the teams staged a massive protest outside the Salt Lake Stadium, sharing their condolences for the city wide protests that have been taking place.
The other day, the Durand Organizing Committee claimed that it would be unable to host the Kolkata Derby at the Salt Lake Stadium. Thus as a means of protest, the fans of both the teams joined forces together to stage a massive protest at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
The police stationed there immediately started lathicharge on the fans. A couple of fans were put on police vans to be escorted away. Reports of police firing tear gas were also seen. But AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey too was present at the venue. He sides with the fans and vented out his frustration at the Derby getting cancelled.
He criticised the police and the West Bengal state government by claiming that had such a police force been allowed, then the match would have taken place. “The first ‘Kolkata Derby’ match of the season was scheduled to be held today and number of police that has been deployed to arrest fans, if even half of them were deployed then this match would have taken place,” said Kalyan Chaubey.
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