'BJP's attack on TMC supporters pre-planned'

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress on Saturday held a protest rally from Ganesh Talkies area in Girish Park alleging that BJP was responsible for the violence that took part in North and Central Kolkata respectively on Friday.

The rally was led by Minister of State for Women and Child Welfare Shashi Panja who is also the party MLA from Shyampukur. It traversed through Pathuriaghata Street and other parts of Posta where TMC supporters had clashed with the BJP.

"BJP's attack on our supporters were pre-planned. They had a programme of a motor bike rally but the participants were armed with sticks that were pointed at one end meant to damage flags, banners and flexes on the road side. The BJP supporters had assembled at Binani Bhavan on Thursday night and behaved in such a manner that several commoners in the locality were disturbed and came up with complaints. They had made a plan to unleash violence. They were bad-mouthing women folk while organising their bike rally. We are protesting against it and demanding peace in the area," Panja said.

On Friday, barely metres away from Vivekananda's ancestral home, clashes turned the area into a war zone literally with blood being spilled on the streets.

Meanwhile, the police arrested nine people in connection with three separate cases that were lodged at Jorasanko and Jorabagan police stations respectively. Five persons were arrested by the Jorasanko police while four were nabbed by Jorabagan. All the accused were produced at Bankshall Court on Saturday. The five apprehended by Jorasanko police station were remanded to custody till January 15 while four arrested by Jorabagan police were sent to judicial custody.

The BJP initiated police station (thana) gherao programme in parts of the state including Kolkata on Saturday alleging that TMC supporters had attacked them to foil their bike rally.

TMC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee lashed out at the BJP's programme and said: "All their programmes have the sole objective of featuring in the media."

It may be mentioned that on Friday some BJP supporters who were armed with sticks ransacked a few vehicles standing by the road. They also entered a trading-cum-residential building located opposite the ceremony house Binani Bhavan and vandalized furniture.