BJP rally in support of amended Citizenship Act blocked by

BJP supporters sat on demonstration at the busy Sulekha crossing on Monday in the southern part of the city after the police blocked their rally in support of the amended Citizenship Act.

Heated arguments and scuffles broke out after BJP supporters tried to break barricades put up by Kolkata Police near Sulekha crossing to stop their rally, BJP leader Anupam Hazra said.

The rally was taken out from Garia More to Jadavpur area in the city.

"We had permission from Kolkata Police to hold the rally and we were doing so very peacefully. It was the police who attacked us. Ironically, this is the same police who had stayed inactive when thousands of miscreants set fire to several buses, attacked trains and damaged government properties," Hazra said.

A large number of vehicle, including schoolbuses and ambulances were seen stuck in the long traffic jam caused by the face off.

The BJP took out the rally on a day when the ruling Trinamool Congress under the leadership of its supremo Mamata Banerjee hit the city streets vowing not to allow the proposed country-wide NRC and the amended Citizenship Act in West Bengal.

A senior Kolkata Police official said, "We have not attacked anyone in the rally. This is absolutely a false allegation. We have not arrested or detained anyone. We are trying to persuade them (BJP supporters) to call off their demonstration as it was causing problems to the common man," a senior officer of Kolkata Police.

The state has seen incidents of arson and vandalism in the past few days in protest against the amended Citizenship Act.