BJP’S leader detained, protest march turns violent in Kolkata
Violence broke out in different parts of Kolkata adjacent Howrah district, especially at the Santragachi area, following clashes between police and BJP supporters, over the later’s march to the West Bengal secretariat against corruption issues on Tuesday.
Tension gripped the area as the second arm of the marching BJP supporters, led by the state BJP president in West Bengal and party MP, Sukanta Majumdar and BJP legislator, Agnimitra Paul started moving towards the state secretariat of Nabanna from Santragachi on the Howrah side.
Huge police contingent deployed there stopped the marching BJP supporters.
The police resorted to baton charging and water-cannons to disperse the agitated BJP supporters, who retaliated with brickbats and bamboo poles.
Finally, the police resorted to firing of teargas shells to dispel the mob.
Being stopped from progressing further, Sukanta Majumdar and Agnimitra Pual immediately sat down on the streets along with their supporters near Howrah Maidan and started
Violence broke out in different parts of Kolkata following clashes between police and BJP supporters, over the later’s march to the West Bengal secretariat against corruption issues
a sit- in demonstration. Both alleged that the police, along with ruling Trinamool Congress activists, resorted to unprovoked atacks on their supporters.
Later, Sukanta Majumdar was also put in the prison van.
Separate clashes were reported between the BJP supporters and the police forces at the Santragachi railway station.
The saffron wing activists started picking up stones from the railway tracks pelting towards the police. The police also resorted to baton charges and teargas shell firing to control the violent mob.
Some of the police personnel were also injured in the clashes.
Following the clashes, the traffic at the adjacent Kona Expressway got totally disrupted, with a large number of vehicles, including some ambulances ferrying critical patients, got stranded.
Trinamool Congress state general secretary and the party spokesman, Kunal Ghosh said the BJP leaders and workers deliberately atacked the police personnel.
“The BJP leaders know that they lack mass base and support in West Bengal. So, they are trying to atract atention through such violent tactics,” he said.
Sukanta Majumdar said that the police had started actions against BJP workers across the state from early on Tuesday morning much before the beginning of the rally.
“Many of our supporters were not even allowed to board the trains coming to Kolkata this morning,” he alleged.
Hundreds of BJP supporters from across West Bengal arrived in Kolkata and neighbouring Howrah on Tuesday morning to take part in the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ or march to secretariat.
Adhikari alleged that the women police personnel were specially and deliberately deputed to handle him.
Adhikari was also seen shouting at the women police personnel trying to put him in a prison van. “You are a lady. Do not touch my body,” Adhikari was heard shouting.
Later both Adhikari and Chaterjee were taken to the Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar in central Kolkata.
Adhikari has threatened to tap the legal doors over the development.
“This not the way to behave with the leader of the opposition. The lady constables were constantly pushing me and they were doing this following the instructions of three IPS officers namely Gyanwant Singh, Akash Magaria and Suryapratap Yadav,” Adhikari said.
Incidentally, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday is out of Kolkata for a three-day official visit to East Midnapore and West Midnapore districts.
Ridiculing her decision to stay out of Kolkata, Adhikari said that the chief minister has deputed the entire police forces to stop the BJP rally.
“She has done this by fleeing out of Kolkata,” Adhikari said.
Ridiculing Adhikari, state urban development & municipal affairs minister and Kolkata mayor, Firhad Hakim said that the leader of the opposition is resorting to such theatrics, understanding that his party has no mass base in West Bengal.
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