Police resorted to baton charges and arrested over 1,400 people across Bengal on Sunday when BJP activists took out bike rallies as part of the party’s outreach programme ahead of Lok Sabha polls.
The Bengal government had denied permission for the rallies citing higher secondary exams and traffic issues. The arrested BJP supporters were released later. A senior police officer said altogether 685 motorcycles had been seized across the state.
In Durgapur, BJP activists scuffled with police when bike rallies were stopped at Chitralay Maidan. The police arrested West Burdwan BJP president Lakshman Ghorui and a dozen party supporters.
Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, who flagged off the rally in Durgapur, said: “The Trinamul Congress is scared of the BJP’s growing support base and is trying to throttle its democratic programmes.”
Asansol also witnessed a face-off between BJP activists and police when a bike procession was stopped at Nuni just after junior Union minister Babul Supriyo inaugurated the rally.
Some BJP supporters allegedly hit the officer-in-charge of Asansol police station, Shantanu Adhikari, on his head with sticks. The police resorted to a lathi-charge and arrested around 15 BJP activists.
In West Midnapore’s Goaltore, a 300-strong bike rally was stopped, following which a scuffle took place between police and BJP supporters. The police lathi-charged the activists who in return threw stones at the law enforcers.
A police officer in West Midnapore said deputy superintendent of police (operations) Uttam Mitra had been injured after being hit by several stones. He was admitted to Goaltore block hospital. Assistant sub-inspector of police Tarun Hazra was also injured.
In Birbhum, over 100 BJP workers were arrested for taking out bike rallies at 12 different places. Police stopped bike rallies and arrested BJP workers in Rampurhat, Suri, Bolpur, Labhpur and Mayureswar.
In Calcutta, police stopped bike rallies at Central Avenue, Jorabagan, Kankurgachhi and several other junctions.
Ghosh said the BJP would hold demonstrations against the crackdown on the bike rallies. “We have not disrupted exam schedules. We are warning police and ruling party gundas that we will not tolerate such things in future.”
Trinamul secretary general Partha Chatterjee said: “The BJP organised bike rallies to create disturbances during exams. The government will firmly deal with it.”
