Police teargas, use water cannons to disperse Bengal BJP march towards Lalbazar police hdq to protest killings
Kolkata, Jun 12 (IBNS): Protesting against the killing of its party workers and alleged lawlessness in the state ruled by the Mamata Banerjee government, West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) marched towards Lal Bazar (headquarters of Kolkata Police) here on Wednesday, clashing with the cops as they teargassed and shot water cannons to disperse the party activists.
The BJP began their march from Wellington, which is close to downtown Kolkata, and reached close to Lal Bazar on BB Ganguly Street where they met with a barricade. The party activists shook the police barricades leading to a showdown when the police used teargas shells and water cannons.
A chaos followed as barricades were broken by the protesters shouting slogans. Some tried to climb over the barricades and breach it.
Majority of the elected Lok Sabha MPs of the BJP were present in the march. The protesters dispered and again regrouped but they were stopped near the Central metro station.
Meanwhile, after Purulia, Naihati, Kankinara, Sandeshkhali and Uluberia, this time it's Malda where BJP workker Ashit Singha, who has been missing since Sunday last, was today found murdered near his home in the district and his face was defaced with acid, reports UNI.
Resident of Jadupur under English Bazar Ashit Singha's mutilated body was found nearly 300 yards from his house. His body was covered with plastic and face burnt with acid, police investigating the crime said.
The state is regularly hitting the headlines for post-poll violence and the conflict between the BJP and ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) reached at peak last week after two saffron party workers were killed in Basirhat. However, the BJP claims four of their party workers have been killed.
The fight between the workers of both the parties began in Sandeshkhali over removal of flags. The TMC too claimed two of its party workers were killed.
A fresh controversy broke out on Sunday after top level West Bengal BJP leaders were denied by police to carry the moral remains of the deceased to Kolkata for cremation. After verbal tussle with the police for some time, the BJP had dropped its plan to carry the mortal remains to Kolkata but cremate in Basirhat only.
Centre-State tussle
The relationship between the BJP-led Centre and TMC-led state government worsened after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which is presently under BJP president Amit Shah, issued a directive to the State.
Not showing any sign to budge down, TMC principal secretary Partha Chatterjee termed the directive as a "political statement".
Governor-Chief Minister conflict
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was involved into a fresh round of fight with Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi after the latter stated that imposition of emergency can be considered in future if the situation worsens. Tripathi made the comment after paying a courtesy visit to re-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah.
Speaking at an event in north Kolkata on Tuesday, Banerjee slammed the Governor saying, "I respect him but not his statement."
When asked whether the imposition of emergency is possible, the Chief Minister in her trademark style said: "Don't worry. It is not so easy ( to declare state emergency). We are not sitting idle."
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
