In photos: At BJP’s Nabanna march, supporters & leaders clash with police; lathicharge, tear gas used

At the Bharatiya Janata Party’s march towards Nabanna — the West Bengal government’s administrative headquarters — on Thursday afternoon, the saffron party supporters and leaders clashed with the police bringing a large part of central Kolkata and Howrah to a halt. The police retaliated with lathicharge and hurled teargas shells and water canons at the protestors. There were allegations of firearms found on a BJP supporter, who was arrested by the police. Police also alleged that bombs were charged by BJP men at them.

Several BJP workers were arrested. Many alleged that police had beaten them up without provocation. BJP’s Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh alleged that the administration’s brutality towards BJP supporters indicated the high-handedness for which the Trinamool Congress government has to pay for. The administration however, alleged that there were rowdies brought in, who attacked police personnel and hurled bricks and bombs at them.

Senior leaders of the BJP including Kailash Vijayvargiya, Mukul Roy, Locket Chatterjee, Sayantan Basu were also present. Youth BJP leader Tejasvi Surya was also present in one of the marches.

Here are photographs from the Nabanna abhijan programme: