BJP slams Mamata govt over violence in Howrah, says 'TMC losing political ground'

Union Law Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, has recently spoken out on the violence that has transpired in Howrah, West Bengal. He said that he condemns the brutality offered by the West Bengal police on some senior leaders. He questions Mamata Banerjee’s rule over the state and inquires about her stance on democracy. The BJP president JP Nadda also accused the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal of perpetrating more violence than the previous Left regime.

New Delhi: Strongly condemning the "barbaric treatment" by the West Bengal police towards the BJP workers during their 'Nabanna Chalo' protest on Thursday, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that he got to know that the water sprayed on them was laced with chemicals.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda also came down heavily on the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal after the police used water cannons and lathi-charged Bharatiya Janata Party workers who were protesting at Howrah Bridge.

Speaking to media persons, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Around one lakh BJP members took out a march towards the state secretariat against the spate of recent political killings in Bengal. But police used barbaric force with lathi-charge and water cannons to stop them, because of which 1,500 were injured."

He further goes on to state, “In your state, media personnel can get arrested over a drawing of a cartoon and if anyone says anything against then they are killed. The reason for this is extremely clear, Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee’s politics is shaking and the very reason for the same is the last Lok Sabha elections, where BJP won 18 seats.”

"I was told that the water sprayed on the BJP march was laced with chemicals because many started vomiting," Prasad said.

The union minister said that among those injured included many senior leaders like national secretary Arvind Menon, state vice-president Raju Banerjee who had to be hospitalised; north Kolkata president Shivaji Sinha Roy who was hit on the head and youth wing president Tejasvi Surya who was manhandled.

He also said that many women protestors had been misbehaved with. Stating that the BJP does not believe in violence, he said that peaceful protest is "our right".

"The BJP assures the people of Bengal that the party will continue to speak up for the citizens' democratic rights peacefully. We will bring about a change in Bengal as the residents are yearning for a change and that is why the government is creating an atmosphere of fear, putting pressure on the opposition, " Prasad said.

"We want to humbly tell Mamataji and the West Bengal government that if you think that you can stop the BJP with the baton and barbaric police excess, you won't be successful. The BJP strongly condemns this barbaric treatment by the Bengal police of senior leaders of the party," he added.