The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today staged a march to Swasthya Bhaban demanding resignation of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
The march, which was attended by all front-ranking leaders of the saffron camp, included state president Sukanta Majumdar, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, former PMs Dilip Ghosh, Locket Chatterjee and Rupa Ganguly among others. The march started from HIDCO crossing in Ultadanga, with a sizeable number, turned restive when the police tried to foil their further march into the Swasthya Bhaban, which had beefed-up security.
The march gained momentum as soon as it neared Karunamoyee and Central Park, ahead of Swasthya Bhaban with the leaders chanting the slogans of Mamata’s resignation as their main demand. The restive protesters finally broke barricades to reach their destination.
There was commotion and tempers ran high, when the marchers found the police in large numbers guarding the health department headquarters to foil their march. Tensions ran high after the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and RS MP Samik Bhattacharya were detained.
The BJP activists were enraged and tried to cordon off the van by not letting it go. However, the LoP was set free after a while.
After the march, the BJP leaders announced that the state BJP would organize demonstrations in front of all police stations in the state tomorrow in protest against the police move to prevent the march and wrongful detention of their leaders.
The Union minister, Majumdar and former state president of the party Dilip Ghosh finally managed to reach Swasthya Bhaban.
Sukanta Majumdar, the state BJP president, said, “The state BJP will organize demonstration throughout the state in front of all police stations tomorrow.”
Suvendu Adhikari said, “Police thought that our supporters and workers would turn violent and resort to vandalism. For that they had made us sit in the prison van for 30 minutes but their plan failed.”