A BJP delegation comprising of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Anil Baluni, GVL Narasimha Rao and others would be meeting the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday over the clashes that erupted during party president Amit Shah’s roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Clashes broke out in north Kolkata during the roadshow of BJP national president Amit Shah on Tuesday evening. According to reports, the clashes erupted between student activists of the TMC and BJP when Shah’s roadshow reached Calcutta University, which is located on College Street as some students reportedly showed black flags to Shah, infuriating students aligned to the BJP.
Later, Amit Shah said, “Today, the way BJP’s roadshow got a response in Kolkata with almost every citizen attending it, TMC’s goons were frustrated and so attacked it. I would like to congratulate BJP workers as even after such chaos the roadshow continued and concluded at the planned place and time.
“I condemn the violence that Mamata Banerjee’s party is doing. I would like to appeal to the people of Bengal to give a response to this violence with their votes in the last phase. It’s necessary to oust TMC once to put an end to violence in the state.”
According to ANI, sticks and stones were hurled at the vehicle carrying Shah forcing the police to resort to lathicharge in which several people were injured.
The BJP had earlier on Tuesday alleged that its party posters and flags were removed by TMC workers and police ahead of Shah’s roadshow.
“Mamata ji’s goons and police removed all the posters and flags. They escaped soon after we reached here,” BJP Bengal in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya told ANI.
On Monday, Shah was refused permission for a rally in Jadavpur. The BJP has repeatedly accused the TMC of the numerous incidents of violence against its party workers and leaders.
A BJP activist was killed in Jhargram district on Sunday. The car of sitting BJP lawmaker from Asansol, Babul Supriyo, was damaged allegedly by TMC workers in his own constituency in the fourth phase of the elections on April 29.