Kolkata police used water cannons and tear gas on BJP workers who were protesting against the killings of their party workers across the state this afternoon. Police stopped a group of BJP workers marching peacefully towards Kolkata Police headquarters in Lal Bazar.
#LIVE | All out mayhem breaks out in Kolkata as Mamata Banerjee’s cops resort to use of water cannons to disperse BJP protest. Tune in to watch here – https://t.co/LGCyJUEBn5 pic.twitter.com/OqXLIv9foa
— Republic (@republic) June 12, 2019
Ground report by @SreyashiDey from Kolkata where Faceoff between BJP-TMC has intensified. BJP protests against cops inaction. Water cannons and tear gas fired at the protestors. pic.twitter.com/3N4YdSgCKA
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) June 12, 2019
The protestors were marching peacefully until they were stopped by police barricades. As the protestors attempted to climb over the barricades, police resorted to water cannons and tear gas shells to disperse the crowd resulting in chaos.
Several BJP workers have been arrested including five supporters of BJP Mahila Morcha for violating CrPC Section 144, which was imposed near the headquarters. Roads to and from Lal Bazar were barricaded. Rapid Action Force (RAF) was along with about 3,000 personnel from Kolkata Police were also deployed.
Reportedly, the Kolkata police also charged BJP workers with batons on Bipin Behari Ganguly Street. Now, leaders including Kailash Vijayvargiya, and Locket Chatterjee among others have started a sit-in protest near Kolkata Police headquarters.
The BJP had previously announced they would protest against the TMC government for the dismal failure of ensuring law and order in the state. The state has been witnessing a spate of post-poll violence. On Sunday, clashes erupted between TMC and BJP workers in Basirghat killing several BJP workers. BJP leader Mukul Roy has accused Mamata Banerjee of giving a go-ahead to TMC workers to attack BJP workers. In the wake of recent incidents of violence in the state, Roy had demanded Banerjee’s resignation as Home Minister of West Bengal.
Today, another BJP worker from Malda was reportedly found brutally murdered.
