BJP observing 'Black Day' in West Bengal today

The party has called for a 12-hour 'bandh' in Basirhat area of the state.

A standoff between the BJP workers and police continued for hours on a highway in West Bengal near Kolkata after the cops stopped the BJP from taking to Kolkata bodies of party workers, allegedly killed in clashes with maraudingTMC members in Sandeshkhali area of North 24 Parganas district.

While initially the BJP threatened to cremate the body right on the highway, they later relented and decided to take the bodies back for cremation at Sandeshkhali, media reports said.  State BJP leaders had planned to perform the last rites in Kokata on Monday.

However, police stopped the bodies of the BJP workers mid-way as they were being brought to Kolkata. 

The cremation took place on Sunday.

BJP workers protested after the police stopped the bodies from carrying to Kolkata. One of the victim's wife narrated to NDTV how she saw from the roof her husband being shot dead despite begging for life. The three dead are Sukanta Mandal, Pradip Mandal and Tapan Mandal.

BJP leader Rahul Sinha said democracy is being strangulated in the state.

"We will observe 12 hour bandh in Basirhat tomorrow.We will also observe Black Day in Bengal. We will protest against this act of the police," he said.

BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said the tenure of Mamata Banerjee as the CM of the state will be remembered as a 'darkest chapter'.

Lalbazar march

Amid violent clashes in West Bengal which claimed three lives, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday announced  that it will hold ''Lalbazar Abhiyan'' on June 12.

Lalbazar is the Kolkata Police headquarters located in the heart of the city.

At least three people-one Trinamool Congress activist and two others from the Bharatiya Janata Party-were killed during a violent clash in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Saturday evening, media reports said.

However, unofficial sources put the toll at four in the clash at Nazat in which warring groups indulged in random bombing, firing and brickbatting for hours.

BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu said three of its workers were killed and they were identified as Tapan Mondal, Sukanta Mondal and Pradip Mondal.

The clashes took place at Nayjat, which is about 70 km from Kolkata in the Sandeshkhali area, a part of Bashirhat Lok Sabha constituency, around 7 pm.

According to reports, the clashes erupted over removing of party flags from public places in the Hatgacha panchayat area.

A huge police force was sent to the area to restore peace.

Although the Trinamool Congress won the seat at Hatgacha, the BJP had an initial 144-vote lead over the ruling party.

The TMC worker killed in the incident was identified as 26-year-old Qayum Mollah, who was shot and hacked to death during the clashes.

One of the two deceased from BJP was shot in the left eye.

The three bodies were brought to a hospital in Bashirhat late on Saturday night.

According to reports, the Trinamool was holding a booth-level meeting at a marketplace in Hatgacha when the clashes broke out with BJP workers, who were in the vicinity.

Angry barbs and insulting exchanges between the two groups led to violence ultimately.

According to reports, BJP president Amit Shah has already sought a report from the state unit of the party about the incident.

The situation in West Bengal has turned worse in recent times with regular violence being reported from across the state following the results of the Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi is expected to meet PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday.

Speaking to News18, a Raj Bhawan spokesperson said, “The governor requested for an appointment with our Prime Minister. The appointment was fixed on Monday and the meeting will start around noon. The Governor has already reached Delhi.”

While the TMC did manage to win with 22 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP had a huge entry into the state with 18 of the 42 total seats, just four less than the ruling party.

Mamata Banerjee had earlier skipped PM Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony as a protest to allegations by the BJP that as many as 54 of its workers were killed in political violence across the state in a span of last six years.