Nabanna march: Bengal BJP-police clash during protest march against TMC govt; several detained

Kolkata, Sep 13: A clash broke out between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and Police outside the Raniganj railway station while they proceeded with the 'Nabanna Cholo' (march to secretatiat) mega rally.

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari was detained while trying to visit Santragachi during the party's march to state secretariat 'Nabanna'.

BJP MP Locket Chatterjee and party leader Rahul Sinha were also detained and whisked away in a prison van. They were stopped in front of police training school at the approach to the Second Hooghly Bridge near the secretariat.

The BJP is organising the mega 'Nabanna Cholo' rally to protest against the alleged corrupt practices of the ruling TMC government.

Hundreds of BJP workers have claimed they were stopped on their way to join the party's Nabanna march.

"With hundreds of BJP workers heading towards Kolkata to join BJP's Nabanna march via trains, police barricaded paths to railway stations. 20 of our workers were stopped by police near Durgapur railway station. I reached here using other paths," said BJP leader Abhijit Dutta.

The cops have also put up barricades at critical areas like Howrah to tackle any untoward law and order situation as the BJP is holding the march despite no permission from authorities.

Reacting to the incident, BJP leader Amit Malviya said that "a fearful Mamata Banerjee, in order to stop few lakh people from reaching Nobanno, has ensured barricading across WB, ensuring that the whole State comes to a grinding halt [sic]".

BJP's Suvendu Adhikari also slammed Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying the "barricade of steel raised at Santragachi symbolizes her anxiety and timidity".

"Police is on a war footing, trying to crush a democratic political event. The barricade of steel raised at Santragachi symbolizes her anxiety & timidity. Remember this @MamataOfficial, no wall can stand up to the 'wave of democracy', it would be breached sooner than later," Suvendu Adhikari said in a tweet.