Kolkata: Police uses water cannon, lathi-charge on BJP's protesters

Police used water cannon and lathi-charged to disperse the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) workers in the city who had gathered for state-wide 'Nabanna Chalo' agitation against the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government, on Thursday.

The BJP has launched a state-wide 'Nabanna Chalo' agitation march today to protest against the alleged killing of its party workers, and goon politics in West Bengal.

Police is using a drone to keep a vigil on the BJP workers protesting at Hastings in Kolkata.

In Howrah, BJP workers tried to break the police barricade, which was placed to stop the protesters' movement and set ablaze tyres. Police also used tear gas to control the situation.

Vijayvargiya criticised Banerjee-led government for the police action on party workers despite them wearing masks.

"All workers are wearing masks. Are rules only for us? Mamata ji holds demonstrations with thousands, and we're being taught lessons of social distancing. Do the same rules not apply to her?" he asked.

Vijayvargiya also accused the state government of trying to turn the "peaceful demonstration into a violent protest".

"We are protesting democratically, but Mamata ji has tried to turn our peaceful demonstration into a violent protest. Goons along with police pelted stones at us," he said.

Before that Vijayvargiya had said the protest is against the goon politics prevalent in the state and the BJP wants to 'sanitise' the state from corruption.

"First they closed Nabanna (state secretariat) today in the guise of doing sanitisation work. It is carried out on weekends, but because of BJP Yuva Morcha's statewide protest, they closed Nabanna today. We want sanitisation to happen of not just Nabanna but of the whole state -- from corruption, nepotism, syndicate leadership and goon politics. This is our mission. Save democracy, save Bengal," he stated.

Earlier today, a heavy police force was deployed at Hastings in Kolkata as workers of the BJP gathered for state-wide 'Nabanna Chalo' agitation against the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government.

BJP workers who gathered outside the the party's state headquarter in Kolkata in large numbers for the 'Nabanna Chalo' agitation, raised anti-government slogans.

On October 2, after his meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, and National party president JP Nadda in Delhi, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh had told ANI that the state unit of the party will organise a huge protest on October 8 regarding the corrupt and goon politics of the West Bengal government.

(ANI)

Also Read: WB: BJP begins 'Nabanna Chalo' agitation against Mamata govt