Violent clash erupts between West Bengal Police and BJP workers during protest march

Violent clashes broke out between the West Bengal Police and BJP workers on Thursday (October 8) in the state, resulting in the closure of Howrah Bridge and Second Hooghly bridge. Thousands of BJP workers from Kolkata and Howrah began marching towards Nabanna to protest the "worsening" law and order in the state. According to police sources, the BJP workers tried to break through barricades during their march towards state secretariat Nabanna.  

Kolkata: Violent clashes broke out between Bharatiya Janata Party workers and police on Thursday (October 8) in the state, resulting in the closure of Howrah Bridge and Second Hooghly bridge. According to police sources, the BJP workers tried to break through barricades during their march towards state secretariat Nabanna.

Thousands of BJP workers from Kolkata and Howrah began marching towards Nabanna to protest the "worsening" law and order in the state.

Police used tear gas, water cannons on BJP workers at Howrah's Santragachi. The saffron party supporters fought with the Bengal cops, during which a firearm was recovered from one of the protesters.

Raising anti-government slogans, BJP workers gathered outside the party's state headquarters in Kolkata in large numbers for the 'Nabanna Chalo' agitation.

According to BJP sources, four major rallies, two each from Kolkata and Howrah, will move towards Nabanna in Shibpur in Howrah district.

The ruling Trinamool Congress government in the state on Wednesday (October 7) denied permission to the programme citing the Pandemic Act and stating that democratic rallies within "permissible parameters" of only 100 participants will be allowed.

The BJP claimed that the government decided to shut down Nabanna (State Secretariat) on the protest march day to take the steam out of the campaign.

The BJP leadership termed the decision as a "reflection of the TMC's fear" but maintained that the party would go ahead with the programme as scheduled on Thursday (October 8).

State secretariat officials, however, said that the decision to close down Nabanna for regular sanitisation on October 8 and 9 was taken "a few weeks ago and it has nothing to do with the BJP's programme".