BJP organises “Save Democracy” protest across Bengal, state chief says municipal elections being deliberately delayed

The West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday organised state wide sit-in demonstrations outside block development offices across the state. Protests were also held on Mayo Road in Kolkata by the party.

Top leaders of the party, including the state party head Dilip Ghosh, led the demonstrations. Kailash Vijayvargiya, Mukul Roy and others were part of the demonstrations.

The protests, according to Ghosh, were about the “state government’s failure” in handling the COVID-19 and the post-Amphan situations. The sit-ins were called ganatantra banchao obosthan (Save Democracy protests). In Kolkata, the state’s party chief Dilip Ghosh was present, where he said that people wanted to bring about a change in Bengal. He alleged that the state government was not going ahead with the municipal elections because the ruling party, Trinamool Congress, had sensed that they are not popular. “We have followed all social distancing norms while organising the demonstrations,” BJP leaders claimed.

Bengal goes to the polls next year, and the BJP is being seen as the chief contender against ruling party Trinamool Congress.