BJP Lok Sabha Candidate Leads Protest in Kolkata Over Detention of Workers

In a significant display of protest, BJP activists, under the leadership of Debasree Chaudhury, the party's candidate for the Kolkata Dakshin Lok Sabha seat, orchestrated a blockade on the Dhakuria Bridge in south Kolkata. The demonstration, which lasted approximately 30 minutes on Friday night, was a call for the release of party workers detained earlier that day. The focal point of this protest saw Choudhury herself sitting in the midst of the bridge, alongside other activists, disrupting the flow of traffic along the bustling SC Mallick Road.

The Kolkata Police detained five BJP activists on charges related to obstructing Election Commission officials. These officials were in the process of removing BJP flags that had been illegally placed on a property in the Dhakuria area without the owner's consent. Among those detained was a mandal president, a significant figure within the party's organizational structure.

Choudhury accused the police of acting under the influence of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and stated that the detainees were held without legal justification, highlighting that no arrest memo was provided at the time. The situation escalated when Choudhury and approximately 15 party activists were taken to the Lake police station around 10:15 pm, amidst chants and slogans from BJP supporters.

Amit Malviya, the BJP IT cell chief, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express his condemnation of the incident. He alleged that the Kolkata Police, following directives from Mamata Banerjee, wrongfully arrested senior office bearers of BJP's South Kolkata organizational district. Malviya's post further criticized the police for their actions and accused TMC workers of attacking BJP activists outside the police station. He asserted that unless Mamata Banerjee ensured the release of the detained BJP workers, the blockade on Dhakuria Bridge would persist.

"This highhandedness of Mamata Banerjee won't be tolerated," Malviya stated, holding her solely responsible for the unrest in Kolkata. The incident has sparked a significant conversation about political freedom and law enforcement's role in political disputes in Kolkata.