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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

BJP workers, policemen injured during Kolkata protest march

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Kolkata: A large number of BJP workers and policemen were injured and a police vehicle was torched as BJP workers, protesting against the law and order situation in the state and alleged fake cases lodged against party workers, clashed with security personnel here on Thursday.


The affected parts of central Kolkata resembled a war zone, with security forces using water canons, batons and lobbing teargas shells on the activists, who also hurled bricks during their protest march.


BJP national General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, party’s West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh, Rajya Sabha MP Rupa Ganguly and former Kolkata Deputy Mayor Meena Devi Purohit were among those arrested after party workers led by them broke barricades in their bid to march to the city police headquarters in Lalbazar.


Actress-turned-politician Ganguly fell ill after scuffling and jostling with the police personnel who faced a torrid time reining in the rampaging Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers.


Another actress-turned-political activist Locket Chatterjee had to be taken to the Kolkata Medical College for treatment after her arrest.


A police vehicle was torched and another government vehicle damaged on B B Ganguly Street close to Lalbazar.


A number of police personnel also sustained injuries from the stone-missiles hurled at them. The situation got heated up after the BJP activists assembled close to the Tea Board of India office on Brabourne Road and allegedly hurled a bomb which injured a policeman.


However, the party’s national Secretary Rahul Sinha denied it.


“Police are trying to mislead everybody by claiming that bombs were hurled, while actually it was only the sound of teargas shells lobbed by the police,” said an injured Sinha, who was also arrested.


In a bid to keep the situation under control and disperse the mob, police resorted to baton charge and used water cannons on the BJP workers at Bentinck Street and Phears Lane.


Near Bentinck Street, a number of BJP activists lay wounded after a round of baton charge. — IANS


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