BJP national secretary injured in 'police action' in Bengal

A law violation programme by the BJP in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas on Thursday turned violent, leaving several people including party national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh injured.

Singh claimed that at least 15 of the party workers sustained various degree of injuries with the condition of at least two of them critical in a police baton charge, but police denied they had carried out a baton charge and said at least 10 policemen had also been injured in the scuffle.

"The baton charge by police is a glaring example of the pitiable condition of democracy in the state. While political leaders and activists are being treated like criminals and baton charged, terrorists and criminals are being treated like sons-in-law by this government," Singh told IANS.

"The police action on us indicates the Trinamool Congress' anxiety. Our law violation programme has been a huge success with thousands of people joining in against the misrule by the Mamata Banerjee government," he added.

The law violation programme is being held across the state in protest against the "deteriorating" law and order situation, "misrule" as well as violence against women in the state.

Denying police resorted to baton charging, Additional Superintendent of police Tarun Haldar said at least 10 policemen were injured when BJP activists tried to break barricades leading to a scuffle.

"There was no baton charge, we tried to restrain them (BJP activists) from breaking the barricades. The scuffle led to at least 10 of our men being injured," he said.