BJP supporters led by the party’s Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar were involved in a scuffle with police outside Barrackpore police commissionerate in North 24-Parganas on Monday afternoon during a law violation programme.

The BJP had given the call for the programme in Barrackpore against the deteriorating law and order in the state.

The police used water cannons, fired teargas and resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the mob, which according to the police, tried to break down barricades and pelted the law enforcers with stones. The BJP alleged that several workers, including women, were injured in the baton charge. The injured have been sent to the hospital.

“We were taking out a peaceful rally, heading towards the police commissioner’s office to submit a memorandum when Mamata Banerjee’s police attacked us unprovoked. There were no women police personnel and our women workers
were heckled. Numerous workers suffered injuries and several were apprehended. The police are behaving
like party workers. We will lodge a formal complaint against the police commissioner of Barrackpore,” Majumdar said.

The clash between the two sides took place around 3.15pm when over 1,000 BJP supporters shouting slogans breached two police barricades at Chiria More-BT Road crossing.

The police intercepted the agitators at the third barricade which led to the clash.

“We tried to stop them but they were in an aggressive mood. They started throwing stones and some policemen were injured. We then had to go on an offensive,” a senior police officer present on the spot said.

Traffic was disrupted on BT Road, a vital thoroughfare connecting the northern suburb with the metropolis, for approximately an hour, police said. Later, deputy commissioner (central) Ashis Mourya reached the spot and held negotiations with the protestors to restore traffic.