A scuffle broke out today between BJP women workers and police near the office of the West Bengal Women Commission over R G Kar trainee student’s rape and murder.

Police said tension arose during a march organized by the BJP’s Mahila Morcha (women’s wing) demanding justice for the R G Kar hospital incident. The police stopped the march right in front of the West Bengal State Women’s Commission.

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Frustrated by the obstruction, BJP workers sat down on the road and began demonstrating in the rain. This led to arguments between the protesters and the police. Eventually, the police allowed a five-member delegation, including former MP and BJP leader Locket Chatterjee, Agnimitra Paul and Debasree Chaudhuri, to enter the commission’s office.

The BJP’s Mahila Morcha had planned to stage a demonstration at the headquarters of the State Women’s Commission on Friday, accusing them of remaining silent on the R G Kar incident. The plan was to gather at Karunamoyee in Salt Lake and march to City Centre One, where they intended to surround the State Women’s Commission office. The state president of the BJP, Sukanta Majumdar, had announced this programme from the party’s protest stage in Shyambazar a few days earlier.

According to the plan, women BJP workers were heading towards Karunamoyee from various locations. However, it was alleged that they were stopped by the police before they could assemble. Women, led by former MP and BJP leader Locket Chatterjee had gathered near Nicco Park with plans to take a bus to Karunamoyee, but the police reportedly stopped the bus. Locket and others then sat down on the road, leading to altercations and scuffles with the police. They were detained but later released. Locket claimed, “The police illegally detained us without showing any papers. Our workers were also stopped near Gate 2.5 of the airport. The more obstacles they create, the more we will move forward. The female chief minister is afraid of women. How many will she stop? The entire state is on the streets.”

Besides Locket, the BJP Mahila Morcha march was led by Agnimitra Paul, Falguni Patra, and Debasree Chaudhuri. The women marched with banners, flags, and posters, carrying symbolic locks, with a call to “lock up” the State Women’s Commission office. The police initially planned to stop the march at Karunamoyee due to traffic concerns but later halted it in front of the commission’s office. Originally, the Mahila Morcha’s protest was scheduled for Tuesday, but it was postponed to Friday due to a call for a separate protest by the “West Bengal Students’ Society” on that day. However, the police stopped the BJP’s programme before it could start. It is worth noting that the BJP has been organizing various protests against the R G Kar incident.