The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday hit the streets of West Bengal to protest against the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government’s alleged corrupt practices in which the saffron party workers clashed with the police. The march to the state secretariat called ‘Nabanna Cholo’ soon turned into a battlefield that left several police officers and BJP camp members, including leaders Mina Devi Purohit and Swapan Dasgupta, injured. Some saffron leaders were also detained during the protest. When police tried to detain BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and board him in a prison van, he was heard shouting at a female cop, “don’t touch me, I am a male”.
Adhikari, who is the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal assembly, was stopped near Police Training School in Hastings area, where barricades were put up to block the BJP supporters from moving towards state secretariat ‘Nabanna’ in Howrah.
“Don’t touch me… you are a woman,” Adhikari said as some female cops were trying to escort him to the prison van and demanded that male police officers be called for speaking to him. The BJP leader said he is a “law-abiding citizen”. Later, DCP (South) Akash Magharia escorted Adhikari to the van.
In a video posted on Facebook by party MP Locket Chatterjee, who was also detained along with him and BJP leader Rahul Sinha, Adhikari was heard saying he did not retort, despite being manhandled, as he respects women. “I see Maa Durga in the eyes of every woman,” he added.
Sharing a video on Twitter, the TMC took a dig at Adhikari and said the BJP’s “56-inch chest model busted”.
Meanwhile, BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh, who led the protesters near Howrah bridge, left the site in the midst of a lathi charge on his party’s supporters. “Our fight against this jungle raj will continue,” Ghosh said.
The TMC, in a tweet, said, “BJP4Bengal karyakartas or hooligans?” “Destroying and damaging government property, attacking police personnel, causing chaos and disrupting peace across the state — today’s activities of BJP that brought shame upon the entire nation. We strongly condemn such outrageous behaviour,” the party said on Twitter.
Seven trains were hired by the BJP to bring its supporters from north and south Bengal on Monday for the protest march to ‘Nabanna’.
Meanwhile, the BJP moved the Calcutta High Court praying for action against senior state government officials for proactive police action against party workers during “Nabanna Cholo” protest. The party prayed for urgent hearing before Chief Justice’s Division Bench.
The court has sought a report from the state’s Home Secretary in response to the allegations levelled by the BJP regarding police action by September 19.
(With PTI inputs)
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