BJP, TMC hold protest against violence after Amit Shah's rally

The BJP as well as the ruling TMC in West Bengal Wednesday organised protests in Kolkata and in other parts of the state against the violence that took place in East Midnapore district's Kanthi area following a rally by BJP president Amit Shah.

The saffron party's state leadership has decided to inform the Election Commission (EC) about the clashes.

The full bench of the EC led by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora is scheduled to arrive in Kolkata in the night on a three-day visit to review the preparedness for the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal. 

They will also hold a series of meetings with officials of the state's chief electoral office and political parties on Thursday.

Following the clashes in Kanthi on Tuesday Home Minister Rajnath Singh had called up Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and expressed serious concern.

The Trinamool Congress took out a protest march in Kanthi during the day against the clashes.    

Senior BJP leaders Mukul Roy and Sayantan Basu took out a protest march from the party's state headquaters to Esplande in the city.

Shouting slogans against the state government, BJP workers carried placards and posters against the TMC government.

Incidently, senior TMC minister and party leader Partha Chatterjee, who was passing through Central Avenue also faced protests and was shown black flags by the BJP workers.

"We have called for the protest against yesterday's violence. The way our party workers were attacked was undemocratic," BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said.

The saffron party organised agitations in various parts of the state in protest against Tuesday's violence in which several persons were injured.

Later on the BJP activists staged a sit in at Esplanade in Kolkata following which the police removed them and detained some of them, party sources said.
The Bengal unit of the BJP has decided to inform the EC about the Tuesday violence.

"We will inform the Election Commission about the clashes that took place yesterday at Kanthi. We will portray the real picture of the ground situation that prevails in Bengal," Ghosh said here.

TMC leader and senior minister Suvendu Adhikari said "We have taken out a protest march in Kanthi town against the violence that BJP had let loose on us yesterday. The people have also come out in our support and joined the march."

As the general election is approaching, the hostility between the BJP and the ruling TMC has heightened in Bengal.

Saffron party is making concerted efforts to gain politically in Bengal, the stronghold of the TMC.