BJP activists stage protests against ruling Mamata Banerjee govt in Kolkata

Kolkata: Hundreds of BJP youth activists held protests across Kolkata against the hike in electricity rates. The police controlled the protesters using water cannon.

The protests come at a time when the BJP is flexing its muscles against the ruling Trinamool Congress following unprecedented gains in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.

As party leaders Sayantan Basu, Raju Banerjee and Locket Chatterjee led hundreds of BJP Yuva Morcha workers on the march from the party office in central Kolkata to the headquarters of the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) at Victoria House, police responded by barricading the road ahead of their destination and holding them back with tear gas shells and water cannons.

The BJP listed Basu, Banerjee and BJP Yuva Morcha state president Debjit Sarkar among those arrested. It also claimed that around 85 party activists were hospitalised with injuries suffered in the "unprovoked" police action.

According to PTI, BJP president Amit Shah and state party unit president Dilip Ghosh have been informed about the incident. Amit Shah has reportedly sought further details on the police action from the state party leadership.

Police claim that six of their personnel were injured in the clashes.