The Kolkata Police used water cannons to disperse protesting BJP workers taking out a rally against the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government. The agitation had been led by BJP MP and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president Tejasvi Surya. The ‘Chalo Bikash Bhavan’ protest had been organised to protest against the “rampant corruption and politicisation of education department” under the Trinamool Congress government.
“Mamata Banerjee has killed democracy in West Bengal. We told Police to arrest or detain us but not resort to lathi-charge. But they did. Male cops attacked our women workers. As per my information, four workers need hospitalisation…one already hospitalised,” alleged Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar.
“This is a dictatorial government. Mamata Banerjee has become Hitler. Our constitutional right is being snatched away. We came to Bikash Bhavan peacefully and organised a protest, it’s our constitutional right. We’re being stripped of our right,” Surya alleged.
Visuals shared online showed the police using water cannons to disperse the flag-waving protesters as they marched along the side of the road.
Taking to Twitter, the Bengaluru MP had also alleged that “TMC goons” were attacking BJP workers at different assembly points. “Our karyakartas have been stopped at Sealdah, Howrah an other railway stations and picked up by TMC police. The constitutional right to peacefully assemble is curtailed under Mamata,” he contended.
“1500+ BJYM Karyakartas were hurt and grievously injured. Yet, Kolkata police didn’t even provide ambulance or any transport to shift them to hospital We pleaded with auto & cab drivers and ensured they were admitted to hospital,” read another post.
“The unprecedented use of force by TMC Police to stifle the voices for justice, to silence BJYM today shows their cowardice. We will not be deterred, we will work tirelessly to save the education system from TMC and to Save Bengal from this dictatorial regime,” added Darjeeling MP Raju Bista.
