BJP activists clash with police during bandh over worker's killing in Kolkata

BJP activists clashed with the police at Bagnan in neighbouring Howrah district on Thursday when they were prevented from taking out a rally against the killing of a party worker in the area. The BJP had called a 12-hour bandh in Bagnan assembly constituency area against the killing of its worker Kinkar Majhi, who succumbed to his bullet injuries on Wednesday.

Majhi was allegedly shot at by a TMC worker, who was his neighbour, over a land dispute on October 24. He was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kolkata.

Trouble began when BJP Yuva Morcha state president and Bishnupur MP Saumitra Khan went inside the Bagnan police station to talk to senior officers after the saffron party was denied permission to take out the rally.

In the midst of it BJP workers attempted to scale the closed gates of the police station leading to a scuffle with the force personnel on duty.

Denied permission to hold the rally, the BJP workers blocked roads and burnt tyres to register their protest against the killing.

The police said the BJP workers were denied permission to take out the rally as it could have created a law and order problem in the area.

Khan told newsmen, "Our party worker was killed but we are not being allowed to take out a rally. Our activists have been beaten up by the police and arrested, while TMC leaders were allowed to take out a rally today".

He was later allowed to meet Majhi's family.

The area remained tense since Wednesday evening following Majhi's death. There were reports of violence and arson even as police patrolled the area.

Huge contingents of Rapid Action Force and Combat Force were deployed to disperse the mob, the police said.

Several crude bombs were recovered from different places in Bagnan and several BJP activists were arrested, the police said.

The ruling TMC has claimed that miscreants had shot at Majhi due to a family dispute and accused the BJP of trying to "politicise the issue".