A number of BJP leaders and workers were injured even as the police on Thursday resorted to “unprovoked” lathi-charge at a peaceful demonstrations at Barasat and Krishnagar.
Among the leaders were including Siddharthnath Singh, Kailash Vijayvargiya and Sudesh Pujari who was protesting at Krishnagar. Pujari got six stitches on his forehead while Singh and Vijayvargiya escaped with minor injuries, party sources said.
About ten policemen were also injured the district administration claimed. The police rained blows on BJP workers while they were trying to break the barricades, sources said.
“Our men were protesting peacefully. But the police suddenly resorted to lath-charge at the behest of some higher authority,” said sole party MlA Samik Bhattcharya adding “there is no democracy in Bengal as you cannot differentiate between the Government, administration and ruling party.”
He alleged that the Thursday’s incident was an example to show how the Trinamool Government which had come to power with a promise to restore democracy had further ruined the situation. “Today the opposition has no place in the State. Whenever there is a movement by the opposition parties it is crushed ruthlessly by the Government.”
The BJP was in the midst of its ongoing statewide civil disobedience programme against rising law and order issues and attacks on women.
“The saffron party will a half-an-hour road blockade between 2 and 2.30 pm on Friday as a mark of protest against Thursday’s unprovoked lathi-charge,” Bhattacharya said.