BJP workers-cops clash in Kolkata during protest
A number of BJP workers and policemen were injured and a police vehicle was torched as parts of central Kolkata resembled a war zone with security forces using water canons and batons and lobbying tear gas shells on the activists who also hurled bricks during a protest march here on Thursday.
Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh, party MP Rupa Ganguly and former Kolkata Deputy Mayor Meena Devi Purohit were arrested after the party workers led by them broke barricades while trying to march to the city police headquarters Lalbazar.
The police used drones to keep a tab on the movement of the protesters.
Actress-turned-BJP leader Ganguly fell ill after scuffling and jostling with the police personnel who faced a torrid time in reining in the rampaging Bharatiya Janata Party workers.
Another actress-turned-political activist Locket Chatterjee had to be taken to the Kolkata Medical College for treatment.
A police vehicle was torched and another government vehicle damaged on B.B. Ganguly Street close to Lalbazar. A substantial number of police personnel also sustained injuries from the missiles hurled at them. There were allegations that the activists had thrown bombs which injured policemen, but BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha denied it.
"Police are trying to mislead everybody by claiming bombs were hurled, while actually it was only the sound of tear gas shells lobbed by the police," said Sinha, who also sustained injuries and was arrested.
Shouting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', 'Jai Sri Ram' and 'Vande Mataram', the BJP supporters assembled in large numbers at three points -- Dharmatala Y channel in central Kolkata,