Yesterday, the BJP’s ‘Uttar Kanya Abhiyan’ rallies in Siliguri were marred with brutality. Party leaders had alleged that the West Bengal police and the TMC goons had attacked the BJP and BJYM workers with force. However, the Bengal police had denied using force.
Hours after West Bengal police denied using ‘force’ to disrupt the BJP’s ‘Uttar Kanya Abhiyan’ rallies on Monday, where a BJP worker named Ulen Roy was killed, the party has questioned the integrity of the State police.
BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya had shared a video clip from ABP News where a police officer can be seen brutally thrashing a BJP worker with his baton. The party worker was seen trying to hide under a cot on a rooftop, but the police officer spotted him and went on thrashing him brutally for several minutes. The visuals contradict the claims made by the West Bengal police that the police did not use force or lathi-charged the BJP workers.
Malviya tweeted, “Shame on WB Police for behaving like TMC hoodlums! Is this your idea of restrain? If this is not lathi-charge then what is? Few months down the line, Pishi will be consigned to the footnote of Bengal’s politics. So don’t get carried away.” He further added, “Stop being a political pawn of the CM!”
Shame on @WBPolice for behaving like TMC hoodlums!
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 7, 2020
Is this your idea of restrain? If this is not lathicharge then what is?
Few months down the line, Pishi will be consigned to the footnote of Bengal’s politics. So don’t get carried away.
Stop being a political pawn of the CM! https://t.co/G5Clb4Vi66 pic.twitter.com/nVnuRfsDTV
While speaking about the incident, BJP State President Dilip Ghosh said that the deceased BJP worker had died after succumbing to police lathi-charge and rubber bullets. “The cops are hellbent to shut down a democratic protest,” he said. Ghosh further reminded the Trinamool Congress of the Nandigram violence where the cops had open fired on unarmed protestors in 2007, on the behest of the then Communist government. He said that if TMC continues on the same path, the people of the state will soon bid them goodbye.
BJP National Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya also questioned the atrocities committed by the West Bengal police and informed about meeting injured BJP workers who had been the victims of police brutality.
सिलीगुड़ी के महाराजा अग्रसेन अस्पताल में आज उत्तरकन्या घेराव में पुलिस की बर्बरता से घायल हुए भाजपा कार्यकर्ताओं से मुलाक़ात की…#UttarKanyaCholo pic.twitter.com/kXjClME3TT
— Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) December 7, 2020
West Bengal police denies use of force
On Monday, West Bengal police had accused ‘a political party’ of engaging in violence, arson, brick-batting, firing and vandalism of government property during their protest program. It claimed, “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.”
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
The police emphasised that they did not firearms or use lathi-charge and had only used water cannons and tear gas. “Police showed restraint and didn’t do lathi-charge or used firearms. Only water cannons and tear gas were used to disperse the violent crowd. However, the death of a person has been reported. The body is being sent for post-mortem. The actual cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem,” it further claimed.
Tejasvi Surya earlier called out the West Bengal Police
BJP MP and BJYM chief Tejasvi Surya, highlighting the police brutalities against peaceful protestors said, “Many BJP workers injured during their peaceful protest. #Democracy being murdered in WB.” In another tweet, Surya urged media to report the incident. He said,”If you will not speak up against these atrocities today, you will be failing in your duties. This is beyond party politics. This is the question of India’s democracy. Look at this. It looks like a war zone. Will you raise your voice against this?”
