Kolkata: West Bengal police has denied charges of pulling off the turban of a Sikh man during BJP's protest in Howrah on Thursday and said that the pagri had fallen off automatically in the scuffle with a policeman.
The police also said that the man was carrying firearms.
"The concerned person was carrying firearms in yesterday's protest. The Pagri had fallen off automatically in the scuffle that ensued, without any attempt to do so by our officer (visible in the video attached). It is never our intention to hurt the sentiments of any community," West Bengal Police tweeted.
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West Bengal Police respects all religions. The officer specifically asked him to put his Pagri back before the arrest. The attached photo has been clicked right before he was escorted to the Police Station. We remain committed to our duty to uphold law and order in the state(2/2) pic.twitter.com/BnTWztfDGW
— West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) October 9, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">West Bengal Police respects all religions. The officer specifically asked him to put his Pagri back before the arrest. The attached photo has been clicked right before he was escorted to the Police Station. We remain committed to our duty to uphold law and order in the state(2/2) pic.twitter.com/BnTWztfDGW
— West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) October 9, 2020West Bengal Police respects all religions. The officer specifically asked him to put his Pagri back before the arrest. The attached photo has been clicked right before he was escorted to the Police Station. We remain committed to our duty to uphold law and order in the state(2/2) pic.twitter.com/BnTWztfDGW
— West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) October 9, 2020
The police said that that the officer had specifically asked him to put his Pagri back before the arrest.
"West Bengal Police respects all religions. The officer specifically asked him to put his Pagri back before the arrest. The attached photo has been clicked right before he was escorted to the police station. We remain committed to our duty to uphold law and order in the state," West Bengal Police tweeted.
The incident took place during the "Nabanna Chalo" (state secretariat) rally organised by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) West Bengal on Thursday over corruption in SSC/TET and unemployment in the state.
Earlier, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, President, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and Akali Dal spokesperson urged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to take action against 'erring' police officers.
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"Brutal attack on security officer Balwinder Singh and disrespect of his turban by West Bengal Police has angered Sikh community worldwide. I urge you Mamata Banerjee Ji to take action against erring police officers ASAP otherwise we will resort to measures, from protest to legal," Sirsa tweeted.
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Brutal attack on security officer Balwinder Singh & disrespect of his turban by West Bengal Police has angered Sikh community worldwide
— #Istandwithfarmers Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) October 9, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
I urge you @Mamataofficial Ji to take action against erring police officers ASAP otherwise we will resort to measures, from protest to legal pic.twitter.com/VgEjvbpLvI
">Brutal attack on security officer Balwinder Singh & disrespect of his turban by West Bengal Police has angered Sikh community worldwide
— #Istandwithfarmers Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) October 9, 2020
I urge you @Mamataofficial Ji to take action against erring police officers ASAP otherwise we will resort to measures, from protest to legal pic.twitter.com/VgEjvbpLvIBrutal attack on security officer Balwinder Singh & disrespect of his turban by West Bengal Police has angered Sikh community worldwide
— #Istandwithfarmers Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) October 9, 2020
I urge you @Mamataofficial Ji to take action against erring police officers ASAP otherwise we will resort to measures, from protest to legal pic.twitter.com/VgEjvbpLvI
Commenting on West Bengal Police's explanation, Sirsa said it does not undo the hurt caused by the 'insensitivity and brutality' of West Bengal police.
"This explanation does not undo the hurt caused by the insensitivity and brutality of West Bengal police. We want exemplary action against the airing police officers who unleashed their barbarism on Balwinder Singh. We want justice for the disrespect meted out to turban," he tweeted.
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This explanation does not undo the hurt caused by the insensitivity and brutality of West Bengal police
— #Istandwithfarmers Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) October 9, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
We want exemplary action against the airing police officers who unleashed their barbarism on Balwinder Singh
We want justice for the disrespect meted out to turban @WBPolice https://t.co/Pb8OGXlbAr
">This explanation does not undo the hurt caused by the insensitivity and brutality of West Bengal police
— #Istandwithfarmers Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) October 9, 2020
We want exemplary action against the airing police officers who unleashed their barbarism on Balwinder Singh
We want justice for the disrespect meted out to turban @WBPolice https://t.co/Pb8OGXlbArThis explanation does not undo the hurt caused by the insensitivity and brutality of West Bengal police
— #Istandwithfarmers Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) October 9, 2020
We want exemplary action against the airing police officers who unleashed their barbarism on Balwinder Singh
We want justice for the disrespect meted out to turban @WBPolice https://t.co/Pb8OGXlbAr
Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh reacted to the incident and alleged that police arrested Balbindar Singh just because he was wearing a turban. If he would have worn a round cap, police would never have shown the guts to arrest him.
Dilip Ghosh said, "Balbindar Singh is the personal bodyguard and BJP leader Priyangu Pandey. Till now there is no record to file a case or arrest a personal bodyguard. Police heckled and beaten him disgracefully and misplaced his turban. Such kind of issue must be condemned. I challenge, would the police personnel have shown the guts to arrest Balbindar Singh, if he was wearing a round cap? They did this just because he is a Sikh. It is shameful behaviour."
"All over West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress and other political parties are able to carry out their party programs whenever and wherever they want. But the BJP is being prevented from holding any meetings and processions with the excuses of law. Our party workers are being arrested. On that day, police stopped us, beaten us, broke down our cars. On the contrary, our party workers were arrested and sent to jail. The BJP is fighting to restore the democratic environment and they are trying to stop us undemocratically. " he added.
(with Agency inputs)
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