BJP complains to Bengal Governor against 'police excesses'

The BJP on Thursday complained to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi against "police excesses" during their protest march here and sought his intervention to ensure release of arrested party activists.

"We have given a detailed report to the Governor. We have appealed to him that around 180 of our leaders and activists are in lock-up at the city police headquarters Lalbazar. Charges under non-bailable sections have been slapped against some of them," said state BJP spokesman Samik Bhattacharya, who led a delegation of party leaders to the Raj Bhavan.

He said the arrested leaders had said they won't leave the lock-up unless everyone was given bail. "We requested the Governor to interevene."

The Bharatiya Janata Party delegation accused police of "ferocious" and "aggressive' attitude and denying treatment to BJP leaders Locket Chatterjee and Rahul Sinha.

Bhattacharya said: "We told the Governor that Chatterjee took ill after a tear-gas shell burst close to her. She was taken to Kolkata Medical College where she had breathing problems and was administered oxygen.

"At that moment, police official went there and said they will arrest Locket Chatterjee. Before anybody could understand anything, she was driven away in a car."

He said that Rahul Sinha was injured and rushed to a hospital. "Doctors were preparing for an x-ray when police called him out and arrested him," Bhattacharya said.

"We urged the Governor to intervene in the matter despite his constitutional limitations. He has promised to do whatever he can," he added.

--IANS

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