BJP slams TMC double standards over protest during COVID; reminds Hathras, farm bill stir

Senior BJP leaders took on the Mamata Banerjee government for filing cases against them following the violent clashes in Kolkata and Howrah with police during a demonstration over the killing of a local party worker.

The Kolkata Police on Friday booked BJP national secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, national vice president Mukul Roy, MPs Locket Chatterjee, Arjun Singh, Rakesh Singh, and other leaders, Bharati Ghosh and Jayprakash Majumdar for "unlawful assembly" amid COVID-19 pandemic guidelines a day after the party’s ‘Nabanna Chalo’ protest march to the state secretariat in Kolkata turned violent. 

Slamming the ruling Trinamool Congress' double-standards over protests during the Coronavirus pandemic, Vijayvargiya said, "There cannot be two different laws for the ruling party and the opposition. Mamata Banerjee can protest during COVID on Hathras [alleged gang rape case], Farm Bill but when we do agitation against our political leaders' killing they register the case. We will go to court, the human rights commission, and also the women commission on police brutality."

Hooghly MP and state BJP general secretary Locket Chatterjee also shot out at the TMC over protests saying, "When BJP protest then there is pandemic law but when TMC protest pandemic law is not there. During the CAA protest and property demolition, they did not arrest or took action against any of those involved. TMC knows that their government is going to fall, we are ready to face all the cases against us."

Earlier, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said the Kolkata Police is working like TMC cadre and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scared of the party.

READ | BJP's Dilip Ghosh On Cases Against Party Leaders: 'Kolkata Police Working Like TMC Cadre'

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Violence in Kolkata, heated exchanges

Clashes broke out between the West Bengal Police and BJP workers as the saffron party leaders launched their 'Nabanna Chalo' march against the 'worsening' law and order situation in the state. While Mamata Banerjee's administration had denied permission for the march, the BJP workers tried to break through barricades even as state secretariat Nabanna remained shut. Subsequently, the police resorted to water cannons and lathicharge to disperse the mob.

Police alleged that the COVID-19 pandemic protocol was not being followed. However, refuting the claims, Kailash Vijayvargiya said that all workers are wearing masks. Other party leaders alleged that TMC workers, with tacit support from the police, hurled stones while reports stated of crude bombs being hurled at policemen, which the BJP denied.

BJP president JP Nadda later in the day lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee government and the TMC for unleashing "brute force" upon BJP workers in an attempt to prevent them from holding protests against the CM's "tyrannical and bloodied misrule" in West Bengal.

"Beating up peaceful protestors, hurling country-made bombs and using water cannon on their protest march show Mamata Banerjee’s frustration because she knows that her days in power are numbered and the people of Bengal have made up their mind to throw out her tyrannical government,” Nadda said in a series of strongly-worded posts on Twitter.

The West Bengal government had cited the pandemic to deny permission for a major gathering during the BJP youth wing's scheduled "March to Nabanna" on Thursday and had said peaceful and democratic rallies within "permissible parameters" of only 100 people would be allowed. The government had also announced that Nabanna will be shut for two days from October 8 "for sanitization purpose".

Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said 113 BJP workers were arrested from several parts of Kolkata and Howrah, and added that arms were also recovered from them. As per reports, several police and RAF personnel were also injured in the clashes while the BJP, on the other hand, claimed that over 1,000 of its party workers received injuries and over 500 of them were detained during the protests.

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READ | West Bengal BJP Leaders Slam Suppression Of "Nabbana Chalo Rally", Lash Out At TMC