A skirmish erupted between the West Bengal Police and BJP workers as members of the BJP tried to break through barricades during their 'Nabanna Chalo' march towards state secretariat on Thursday, police said. Scores of BJP workers from Kolkata and Howrah started their rally towards Nabanna to protest the "worsening” law and order situation in the state. Police used tear gas and water cannons to stop members of the saffron party.
Police also lathi-charged workers on Howrah Bridge. BJP state vice-president Raju Banerjee and MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato were injured during the clashes. Arvind Menon, BJP National Secretary was also wounded. The party launched the statewide 'Nabanna Chalo' rally on Thursday to protest against the alleged killing of its party workers. Close to two lakh people are expected to be participating in these protests despite public transportation like trains and buses running with limited capacity. Each mandal was assigned the task of deploying 10 buses to bring workers to the protest venue.
BJP's newly appointed Yuva Morcha chief Tejasvi Surya, who was among the leaders steering the march, said that tear gas and water cannons were launched at the agitators.
"This is what fascism looks like! Country bombs hurled at our rally by TMC goons from rooftops. Tear gas and water canons launched against a peaceful march. The tyrant’s time is coming to an end. #NabannoCholo," Surya wrote on Twitter.
"We are sensing that the people of Bengal do not want Mamata Banerjee government anymore. This is a mockery of democracy," Surya told News18.
"Police is lathi charging our people...Stone-pelting being done from Khidirpur side. Can't the police see that?" BJP leader Locket Chatterjee was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya accused chief minister Mamata Banerjee of trying to turn the party's demonstration into a violent protest. "We are protesting democratically, but Mamata Ji has tried to turn our peaceful demonstration into a violent protest. Goons along with police pelted stones at us," Vijayvargiya was quoted as saying.
Four massive rallies, two each from Kolkata and Howrah, will march towards Nabanna in Shibpur in Howrah district, BJP sources told news agency PTI. Meanwhile, BJP workers reportedly set fire to tires in Howrah during the agitation.
The ruling Trinamool Congress government in the state on Wednesday refused permission to the event citing the Pandemic Act and said that democratic rallies within "permissible parameters” of just 100 participants will be given clearance. Earlier, the state government has also announced that Nabanna will remain shut for two days from October 8 for "sanitisation” work.
(With inputs from PTI)