BJP workers lathi-charged near police station in Bengal

Several BJP workers including women were lathi-charged while protesting near the Khardah police station in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday night. TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh claimed the BJP workers tried to snatch the firearms of the policemen.

Barrackpore (WB): BJP workers were lathi-charged near the Khardah police station in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday evening.

The police said that some BJP workers staging a blockade of the B T Road in protest against the arrest of party activist Bullet Roy for allegedly brandishing firearms tried to storm the police station and were lathi-charged by Rapid Action Force personnel.

The saffron party, however, claimed its members were peacefully demonstrating outside the police station and were brutally lathi-charged by the law enforcers.

Panihati's TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh claimed the BJP workers tried to snatch the firearms of the policemen.

"The BJP activists tried to snatch the firearms of the police personnel and the agitation threatened to spin out of control during the road blockade.

"The saffron party is trying to disrupt peace in the Panihati-Khardah belt. Police had to resort to lathi-charge as the last option," he said.

BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu said several party activists, including women, were injured in the lathi-charge on the "peaceful" demonstration and were rushed to the hospital.

Police said Roy was arrested based on a complaint lodged by the TMC.

Roy had allegedly brandished firearms when TMC activists went to ward number 2 of Panihati Municipality to campaign for a party programme in the area and entered into an altercation with some local BJP members.

After the TMC lodged a complaint against Roy with the Khardah police station, he was arrested in the afternoon. In the evening, some BJP members and supporters went to the police station demanding his release.

The BJP, however, denied the charges of Roy brandishing firearms and said he was falsely implicated.