Bengal: Cops stop BJP's Parivartan Yatra in Murshidabad

The BJP's 'Parivartan Yatra' was on Monday temporarily stopped from moving ahead in West Bengal's Murshidabad district as "members of the saffron camp, despite request, took a route that had a few sensitive pockets", a senior police officer said.

District BJP leader Gourishankar Ghosh, however, claimed that the party had intimated the administration about the route being taken for the yatra well in advance, and "no objection was raised" back then.

The saffron camp, following negotiations with the police, agreed to take an alternative route, as it "wanted to steer clear of any untoward incident".

The 'Parivartan Yatra' on a rath was flagged off by BJP national president J.P. Nadda from Nabadwip in Nadia district on February 6, as part of the saffron party's outreach programme ahead of the Assembly polls. It travelled through Nakasipara before entering Murshidabad on February 7.

"The rath, which was on its way to Bahrampur, was told to avoid a particular route via Hariharpur, as it has a few sensitive pockets. The vehicle was stopped as it was passing by Bharat Sevashram Sangha at Beldanga," the officer said.

Ghosh, on his part, said no such request was made to him or the other members of his party by the administration.

Echoing him, state BJP leader Kalyan Choubey said, "We held discussions with the police before charting the yatra route. However, we were taken by surprise when the police stopped us at Beldanga. We sat on the street for three hours."

"Later, as suggested by the police, we decided to take an alternative route via National Highway 34 bypass, as we wanted to steer clear of any untoward situation," he added.