A major clash erupted between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and police personnel in West Bengal’s Basirhat on Monday when a “law-violation programme” of the party turned violent.
According to reports, the clash left several people, including police personnel, injured. Basirhat is located in North 24 Parganas district around 60 km from Kolkata.
The clashes came on the day Supreme Court declined to accord an urgent hearing on a plea challenging a Calcutta High Court order of not allowing the party’s rath yatras in the state.
Led by state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, party workers on Monday carried out a symbolic “law-violation” programme in protest of the ruling Trinamool Congress government for its decision not to allow the saffron party’s mega rath yatra.
The BJP has been trying to carry out “Save Democracy Rally” in all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal.
Protesters were marching towards the District Magistrate’s office when the clashes erupted. Reports say that stones were thrown during the protest march but it is unclear who threw them.
The police said that they initially tried to pacify the BJP supporters, but were forced to resort to lathi-charge following the stone throwing.
Ghosh, who was reportedly present at the event, said that the stones were thrown by “outsiders” who had nothing to do with the party.
“We were conducting our ‘law-violation programme’ peacefully, but the police started unprovoked lathi-charge. Those who have pelted stones are outsiders; they have nothing to do with the BJP,” he said.
Basirhat was the centre of a violent communal clash in July 2017.
Demanding Ghosh’s arrest, senior TMC leader Jyotipriyo Mullick accused the BJP of trying to create communal violence.
Meanwhile, at a public meeting in Birbhum district, Ghosh had earlier today also accused the state police force of inactivity and said they are not worthy of wearing the uniform.
“You (West Bengal Police) aren’t worth your uniform. Above all, you are insulting us. There’s a general perception that people from Jharkhand are coming here and making bombs. Can’t the police catch them? All those involved in these incidents are from Trinamool Congress,” he said.
(with inputs from agencies.)