Calcutta HC steps in as BJP protest in Kolkata turns violent, seeks govt report – Hindustan Times

Amid violent clashes between BJP workers and police on the streets of Kolkata, the Calcutta high court on Tuesday sought a report from the West Bengal home secretary over the BJP ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ – the massive protest march to the state secretariat – by September 19 The high court also directed the Kolkata Police to not “illegally” detain any person and ensure that there was no damage to public property.

Parts of Kolkata turned into a battlefield after thousands of BJP workers took to the streets to protest against the alleged corruption by the ruling Trinamool Congress government. A police vehicle was torched in Lalbazar area, while stones were pelted in Santragachhi amid clashes between the protesters and the police. Several people are said to have been injured in the incident.

Read more: Kolkata streets turn into war zone as BJP’s protest march turns violent

The police resorted to using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters near the Howrah bridge.

Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were detained, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, Rahul Sinha and MP Locket Chatterjee from Hastings in Kolkata as they were trying to visit Santragachi during the protest march. The police also arrested state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar during the protest. The detained leaders were taken to the police headquarters in Lalbazar.

Read more: ‘Don’t touch my body…I’m male’: At Nabanna march, Suvendu’s remark to female cop

“Everyone got to see how the partisan police tried scuttling a Leader of Opposition’s democratic right to protest outside Nabanna. I was manhandled by a woman constable, people saw that too,” Adhikari told reporters before he was whisked away in a prison van.

Normal life was disrupted in the city – already reeling with torrential rain and waterlogging – due to the protests, with common people facing huge inconvenience on the thoroughfares.