Taking a dig at Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the police’s alleged high-handedness in dealing with the protesters, BJP president JP Nadda said, “In Didi’s West Bengal, helping rapists and criminals is valuable.”
On Tuesday, police resorted to lathicharge, and used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protesters, who threw stones and bricks at security forces and demolished barricades blocking the road leading to the state secretariat.
Nadda said on Twitter, “The pictures of police high-handedness from Kolkata have angered everyone who values democratic principles. Helping rapists and criminals in Didi’s West Bengal is valuable but speaking up for women’s safety is a crime.
The protesters were trying to reach ‘Nabanna’ to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the rape-murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here.
Clashes broke out at Santragachi and Howrah Maidan near MG Road, Hastings Road and Princep Ghat, in which some protesters as well as policemen were injured.
BJP has called for a 12-hour bandh in Kolkata
The BJP has announced a 12-hour general strike in West Bengal from 6 am to 6 pm on Tuesday to protest against police action during the march to the state secretariat ‘Nabanna’.
The party is also demanding that the CBI conduct a polygraph test of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, who the BJP claims initially said that the victim’s death was suicide.
“Whatever is happening in West Bengal is worrying. This is like flouting the Constitution. It is clearly visible that if there is any dictator in the country, it is Mamata Banerjee, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said at a press conference at the party headquarters here.
