Several BJP men were injured and many others were arrested after a protest rally — at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas — led by Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar allegedly turned violent prompting the State police to lathi-charge, burst of teargas shells and use water cannon to disperse the crowd, sources said.
Majumdar was leading a rally outside the Barrackpore police commissionerate citing deteriorating law and order situation in the industrial area when the crowd suddenly turned violent and resorted to throwing brickbats at the police leading to a counteroffensive by the men in uniform, a senior police official said.
"We were protesting outside the CP office when the police suddenly started using water cannons and lathis on the innocent party men who were just sitting outside to protest against the deteriorating law and order situation," Majumdar who was still sitting outside the Barrackpore Police Station demanding unconditional release of his party men said adding a police officer named Ashis Maurya had lath-charged women without provocation.
"This is winter and it hurts … knowing this full well they have beaten our men as if they are beating animals … many people were bleeding and many have been arrested for no fault of theirs … even passersby were not spared … we will not leave them … we will go to court," he said.
The police officials however said that the crowd had gone violent necessitating a lathi-charge.
"They had refused to leave the BT Road creating a big jam during office hours besides suddenly some of them started pelting stones and even hit some of the policemen leading to lath-charge which was minimal," a local official said.