By One BJP worker died as the Bengal police on Monday used water cannons and tear gas shells on protesters who were part of a BJP rally in West Bengal’s Siliguri.
BJP workers clashed with the police in North Bengal, as they were stopped from moving past barricades at two points near branch secretariat ‘Uttarkanya’ during their rally in protest against TMC dispensation’s “misrule”.
The activists, as part of the ‘Uttarkanya Abhijan’ called by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), took out two protest marches, alleging that the state government has not fulfilled the promises made to the people of north Bengal, and benefits of the welfare schemes launched by the ruling dispensation have failed to reach the common man.
The police action started after BJP supporters tried to break barricades set up by the authorities. Local reports indicated that protesters also retaliated by throwing stones at the police. Some activists had even set fire to the bamboo barricades set up in the area.
Siliguri: Police use tear gas shells&water cannon on BJP Yuva Morcha workers protesting against West Bengal govt, at Tinbatti
“Many BJP workers injured during their peaceful protest. Democracy being murdered in West Bengal,” says MP& National Pres, BJP Yuva Morcha, Tejasvi Surya pic.twitter.com/Sn3mizM3xu
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2020
BJP WORKER DIES IN SILIGURI LATHICHARGE, PARTY BLAMES MAMATA BANERJEE
In the ensuing violence, one BJP worker, identified as Ulen Roy, was killed while a number of BJP workers and police personnel have been injured in the incident.
Sharing a video of the deceased, the BJP Bengal unit targetted CM Mamata Banerjee in a tweet. Referring to Mamata Banerjee as ‘Pishi’ (aunt), the BJP tweeted, “Ulen Roy, the BJP worker, died due to police lathicharge. He was demanding the development of North Bengal. Pishi is the home minister of Bengal and is directly responsible for his death. ”
Ulen Roy, BJP worker, died due to police lathicharge. He was demanding development of North Bengal. Pishi is the home minister of Bengal and is directly responsible for his death.
It is obvious that Pishi resents North Bengal and is targeting those opposed to TMC’s injustice! pic.twitter.com/w0RNpDd7eT
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) December 7, 2020
“It is obvious that Pishi resents North Bengal and is targeting those opposed to TMC’s injustice!” the BJP added.
DIDN’T LATHICHARGE, USE FIREARMS AGAINST PROTESTERS: BENGAL POLICE
The West Bengal Police also issued a statement on the clash in Siliguri and said that “serious acts of violence were committed” by the BJP workers.
“Today in Siliguri, serious acts of violence were committed by the supporters of a political party during their protest program. They resorted to arson, brick-batting, firing and vandalism of govt property,” the West Bengal Police tweeted.
The police also said that it showed restraint in containing the protest and didn’t lathicharge the protesters, as claimed by the BJP. The police maintain that only water cannons and tear gas were used.
Police showed restraint and didn’t do lathicharge or used fire arms. Only water cannons and tear gas were used to disperse the violent crowd. However, death of a person has been reported. Body is being sent for PM. The actual cause of death will be known only after the PM (2/2)
— West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) December 7, 2020
“Police showed restraint and didn’t do lathicharge or used firearms. Only water cannons and tear gas were used to disperse the violent crowd,” it said.
Speaking on the death of the BJP worker, the West Bengal police said that the body has been sent for post-mortem to determine the actual cause of death.
BJP Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh has claimed that the party worker died due to police firing while the state police has denied using any firearms.
BJP TAKES OUT 2 RALLIES AGAINST TMC ‘MISRULE’ IN BENGAL
The party’s state president, Dilip Ghosh, who led a rally to Fulbari Bazar — one of the two points approaching the secretariat building — said the government was “using coercion” as it was scared of BJP’s rise in Bengal.
Dilip Ghosh accused the local administration of setting up “a virtual island in Siliguri town by putting up multiple barricades in places to foil a democratic movement.”
A second rally, led by party national secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and BJYM national unit president Tejaswi Surya, broke the first two layers of the police cordon near Tinbatti more — about 1 km from Uttarkanya — but could not past the third.
!
#UttarKanyaCholo pic.twitter.com/s3G8PmTNwy
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) December 7, 2020
According to BJP sources, Vijayvargiya and Surya had to be escorted to their vehicles by their personal security guards.
Speaking about the incident, BJP Yuva Morcha chief Tejasvi Surya said, “Many BJP workers injured during their peaceful protest. Democracy being murdered in West Bengal.”
