Kolkata, August 16: Esplanade area of Central Kolkata turned into a battlefield after police and BJP leaders including state chief Dilip Ghosh clashed over BJP’s Paschim Banga Bachao (Save West Bengal) agitation programme.
According to BJP sources, over 150 BJP workers and leaders were arrested but were later released.
According to police, the BJP leaders and workers were arrested as they were not given permission to hold the agitation in front of Gandhi statue in Mayo road.
Talking to Free Press Journal, Dilip Ghosh said that the TMC leaders claimed that the BJP government is undemocratic and is heckling the TMC leaders and workers in Tripura and the picture of West Bengal is worse than any other state as oppositions are not allowed to speak here.
“With thousands of people, the TMC is holding Khela Hobe Diwas and is playing football to erase the history of great Calcutta killings and with 50 people the TMC through their police forces is trying to disrupt BJP’s program. If needed we will Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and will report our problem against the Taliban rule in the state,” said Ghosh.
Slamming the police and TMC government, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that ‘such a sorry state of Democracy can only be seen in West Bengal’.
“The TMC government killed democracy and the BJP has pledged to restore the democracy. Police’s role is really shameful,” said Suvendu.
Notably, the day when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had declared to celebrate ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’ on August 16, amidst criticism the saffron camp had decided to hold ‘Paschim Banga Bachao’ program so that people doesn’t forget the ‘Black Day of Calcutta killings where several Hindus were killed’.
Former Minister of state Debashree Chowdhury while being arrested said that the women police allegedly abused them and even lathi-charged them to disperse the crowd before forcibly arresting them.
Incidentally, the BJP will hold Shahid Samman Yatra from Tuesday till Thursday and will connect with the masses and also the families of the deceased BJP cadres.
