The ‘Nabanna Chalo’ march towards the West Bengal Secretariat on September 13 against the alleged corruption of the ruling Trinamool Congress was marred by violence where several BJP workers were injured and detained, police vans were torched and water cannons were sprayed on protesters. “Our motto was to show 10.5 crore people of Bengal that everything will not be wasted through corruption. The BJP will fight corruption and throw out this (TMC) government,” BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh told News18 when asked about the political messaging behind the march.
Ghosh said the BJP was “politically satisfied with Nabanno Abhijan”, and the Mamata Banerjee government is “scared” that is why she got the police retaliate with baton-charging the BJP workers.
“TMC is scared. Mamata has run away from the Secretariat. Administration ‘hil gaya’ (shaken)… The police attacked our party office and beat up our workers in Kolkata and in villages. They have given TMC dacoits protection,” said Ghosh.
However, the TMC attacked the BJP over the march, calling it a total failure. TMC MP Saugata Roy told News18 on Tuesday that the BJP workers resorted to some senseless violence, and it was “hooliganism on ground” for which the police got heavily injured.
On Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari’s detention Roy quipped, “Adhikari was constantly asking the police to arrest him. He wanted to run away quickly. He is a general who runs away from the battlefield.”
But Ghosh said Adhikari fought in his own way. “More than 2,000 people were arrested. Adhikari was arrested illegally; we are in talks and will move court. Many of our workers were injured, some of them are seriously injured. Meena Devi Purohit, our former deputy mayor, is seriously injured,” Ghosh stressed.
West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, LoP Suvendhu Adkhikari, Hoogly Lok Sabha MP Locket Chatterjee and other leaders were detained on September 13 when they along with thousands of party supporters tried to reach the State Secretariat from different sides.
A police car was set on fire on busy MG Road, violence erupted in Santragachi in Howrah where the police fired tear gas shells and used water cannons to disperse the crowd. But the supporters regrouped later and started pelting stones on the police. Many policemen were injured, including Assistant Police Commissioner who is in the hospital.
“Such a big incident would have some reaction. Where were the police when their car was set on fire? We were having peaceful demonstrations. Our workers were going back, even then, the police lathi-charged them,” said Ghosh.
Roy, however, questioned the BJP on this unlawful and disruptive behaviour in Kolkata. “What do you have to say about the plight of the common man yesterday? The city got choked and common people were in problem. That was the real scene,” Roy said.
When asked whether the BJP cadre in West Bengal was rejuvenated by the march, Ghosh said the party workers were “inspired” and they stand against corruption. “Will take this mantra for the Panchayat polls but the TMC will be more violent.”
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