Mamata Banerjee accuses BJP workers of violence; says not against democratic protests

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters in the state of participating in violence during anti-government protests on Wednesday, saying action would be done against anyone causing a disturbance. “People were harassed and public properties vandalised and destroyed. You can’t have goons and bombs brought in, in the name of […]

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters in the state of participating in violence during anti-government protests on Wednesday, saying action would be done against anyone causing a disturbance.

“People were harassed and public properties vandalised and destroyed. You can’t have goons and bombs brought in, in the name of protests. Remember, police and fringe elements cannot go together. No anti-social activity will get any cover under the garb of politics, the police will take action if that happens,” Banerjee said.

Her remarks came after clashes broke out in several parts of the state as workers left for Kolkata to take part in Nabanna Abhiyan on Tuesday.

Banerjee also claimed that BJP had brought workers from other states for the protests. She also defended the police action against the protestors.

“The police officers could have fired in the air, but they were very measured in their response. This cannot happen, you cannot book trains and bring people from other states to create a nuisance in Bengal,” she added.

Banerjee said she was not against democratic protests.

“Since they don’t have numbers, they resorted to bombs and goondaism to create violence. I have never stopped democratic protests, you work in a democratic way, and no one will stop you. But in the name of andolan (agitation), you can’t get bombs and break heads. I pray for those who were injured, and hope they get well soon.”

Banerjee made the remarks after speaking at a Purba Medinipur administrative review meeting.

Earlier on Tuesday, Kolkata Police arrested West Bengal Assembly Leader Suvendu Adhikari and MP Locket Chatterjee ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) protest march to the state secretariat ‘Nabanna.’

When the BJP leaders were leading the Nabanna Chalo Abhiyan, they were imprisoned from Hastings in Kolkata. Adhikari, Chatterjee, and BJP leader Rahul Sinha were escorted to the Lalbazar Police Station in Kolkata.

Prior to her arrest, Adhikari said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had lost public support and had transformed West Bengal into North Korea.

“Chief Minister Mamata does not have the support of her people and so she is enforcing dictatorship, similar to North Korea in Bengal. Police will have to pay for what it is doing since Monday. BJP is coming,” Adhikari told ANI.

A massive barricade has been up at Hastings near the state government’s new Secretariat in Kolkata ahead of the BJP’s Nabanna Chalo march.

Police stopped buses transporting BJP workers on their way to Kolkata to participate in the Nabanna Chalo march in North 24 Parganas. A scuffle also erupted outside the Raniganj railway station as BJP workers prepared to leave for Kolkata to participate in the Nabanna Abhiyan on Tuesday.

In Raniganj, police detained a large number of workers as a precaution.