Clashes broke out in Siliguri between BJP activists and police on Monday. Police fired teargas and used water cannon to disperse protesters.
The clashes occurred as the BJP's youth wing, the BJYM, was organising its 'Utttarkanya' rally in Siliguri, a march to the north Bengal secretariat. The BJYM organised the rally to highlight allegations the state government had not fulfilled the promises made to the people of north Bengal, and benefits of the welfare schemes launched by the ruling dispensation had failed to reach the common man.
Lok Sabha MP Tejaswi Surya, who is the national president of the BJYM, had arrived in Siliguri for the Uttarkanya rally. All 7 MPs of the BJP in north Bengal were present for the rally, along with Kailash Vijayvargiya and Arvind Menon, the two state in-charges of the party.
BJP state chief Dilip Ghosh and MP Soumitra Khan were involved in protests. BJYM workers were seen attempting to break barricades erected to allegedly prevent the rally, following which police resorted to firing teargas and water cannon. Some activists had even set fire to the bamboo barricades set up in the area. Several BJP workers were injured in the clashes.
Dilip Ghosh alleged that Ulen Roy, a BJP worker, died of injuries in the police lathi-charge. Ghosh said Roy was brutally beaten and died after being rushed to hospital.
BJP sources told PTI Vijayvargiya and Surya had to be escorted to their vehicles by their personal security guards. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has been informed about the incident.
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Earlier in the day, Dilip Ghosh was obstructed by police from entering a guest house in Siliguri. Ghosh had to wait several hours after he reached Siliguri early in the morning to enter the Central government guest house.
BJP Darjeeling MP Raju Bista alleged that BJP workers had been stopped by police from joining the rally organised by the BJYM in Siliguri.
Bista tweeted, " have received complains from many BJP karyakartas that they were stopped by West Bengal police on their way to join the @BJYM rally in Siliguri. Why is the police working like TMC frontal organization? Why @AITCofficial Govt. so scared?"
Last month, the BJYM held a similar march in Kolkata, which triggered clashes.
(With inputs from Rabi Banerjee, PTI)
