Kolkata: Violence broke out on Kolkata’s streets for the second time this week after protestors and police clashed during a march on Thursday. Police resorted to using teargas shells, water cannons and batons against Bharatiya Janata Party workers who were staging a protest march to the police headquarters in the Lalbazar area.
Accordin to NDTV, several police personnel, party workers and journalists were injured during the incident.
The BJP workers were protesting against several matters including the alleged “false cases” being filed against members of their party and the police’s “failure” to arrest Kolkata’s controversial Imam Maulana Nurur Rehman Barkati for alleged anti-national statements.
Senior BJP workers, including National General Secretary Kailash Vijayavargiya and president of the party’s state unit, Dilip Ghosh, were arrested during the incident. Actor and BJP leader Locket Chatterjee was admitted to the hospital after he sustained injuries during the clash.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of triggering the violence. “There is no violence, it is the BJP, they started the violence. And the Communist Party of India (Marxist). See how they have beaten the police personnel including women and burnt government properties,” she said.
