Bengal BJP’s ‘March to Nabanna’ turns violent, police use force after stone-pelting – The Indian Express

BJP workers clash with West Bengal Police in Howrah on Thursday. {Express photo/Shashi Ghosh}

West Bengal BJP’s “March to Nabanna” (state secretariat) organised by the Yuva Morcha took a violent turn on Thursday after party workers allegedly hurled bombs and bricks at the policemen in Kolkata and the adjoining Howrah district. The police, in return, resorted to water cannons and fired tear gas shells, besides lathicharging the workers, to disperse the crowd.

Several BJP workers, including state vice-president Raju Banerjee, were injured in the clash. Party workers also set tyres on fire as a mark of protest. Leaders like Arjun Singh, Kailash Vijayvargiya, Locket Chatterjee and Mukul Roy were among those present on the spot. See more photos here.

Police preparations to prevent the BJP rally from heading towards Nabanna.

With a seven-point charter of demands, including the deterioration of law and order situation, the youth wing of the party had organised a march to Nabanna from four areas today. Newly-appointed BJYM president Tejasvi Surya also joined the protest at Howrah Maidan. Read in Bangla here.

Police lathicharge protesting BJP workers in Howrah on Thursday. {Express photo/Shashi Ghosh}

“The police are using their force to stop our workers who were organising a peaceful protest. This is the state of affairs in Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal,” BJP MP Arjun Singh said.

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya at the protests in Howrah on Thursday. {Express photo/Shashi Ghosh}

Citing the pandemic, the West Bengal government had denied permission to the party for any major gathering and only granted permission for peaceful and democratic rallies within “permissible parameters” of only 100 people.

The government also announced that Nabanna will be shut for two days from October 8 “for sanitisation purpose”.

Police resort to water cannon to disperse the crowd.

Several barricades have been deployed at Hastings, Central Avenue, Santragachi and Howrah Maidan area to prevent the party from holding the rally.

“Party workers hurled bombs at policemen and rained bricks and stones. We had to ensure law and order is maintained,” a senior officer of Howrah Police said.

Several barricades have been deployed at Hastings, Central Avenue, Santragachi and Howrah Maidan area to prevent the party from holding the rally.

According to sources, a few arms were seized from one of the protestors in Howrah Maidan area.

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