The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers were allegedly lathi-charged by the Kolkata Police during a massive protest march in the city. The cops resorted to teargas shelling and used water cannons to disperse the crowd as many gathered near the police headquarters.
The BJP workers, who were protesting against the killings of their party workers in the state, clashed with the Kolkata Police. The incident happened as the workers tried to hold a protest march to Lalbazar near the police headquarters.
Watch the video here:
#WATCH: Kolkata police baton charge at BJP workers on Bepin Behari Ganguly Street. They were marching towards Lal Bazar protesting against TMC govt. #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/RxIGPSqBGd
— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2019
Despite repeated appeals by the police to stop the protest, hundreds of party workers insisted on marching, triggering the clash. Here are a few visuals from the spot:
To stop the protests from flaring up, cops erected barricades which were taken down by the BJP workers. A senior police officer told news agency IANS: "Barricades have been put up at all the important junctures across the nine possible entry points to Lalbazar." "Personnel armed with water cannons and tear gas shells will be posted at various points," the officer added.
As Section 144 of CRPC was imposed near the Kolkata Police headquarters, around five Mahila Morcha workers of BJP were detained for violating the law. However, the protest was called off by the BJP leaders including Kailash Vijayvargiya, Locket Chatterjee and others.
Post the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, tensions between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress have escalated as BJP managed to secure 18 out of the total 42 seats. The Trinamool Congress had to settle with 22 seats while the Congress party won two seats in the state.
