West Bengal: BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari detained amid 'Nabanna Abhiyan'
What's the story
Amid the ongoing political battle between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, the police on Tuesday detained hundreds of BJP members, including senior leader Suvendu Adhikari. The party workers were on their way to Nabanna—the state secretariat—as part of the BJP's Nabanna Abhiyan, its biggest protest in WB since its defeat in the 2021 Assembly polls.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The BJP is organizing a massive protest march against the TMC nearly a year after its loss in the Assembly polls. Nabanna Abhiyaan (march to secretariat)—aimed at "exposing" the TMC's corruption—is being organized at a time when TMC leaders are under the Enforcement Directorate (ED) scanner. The ED is questioning senior leaders like Abhishek Banerjee and Partha Chatterjee in separate alleged scam cases.
Police
Senior leaders detained ahead of march
The West Bengal Police on Tuesday detained Leader of Opposition Adhikari, who was on his way to Nabanna. BJP MP Locket Chatterjee and several other leaders, including Rahul Sinha, Taapshi Mondol, and Dibakar Gharami, were also detained. The police halted traffic movement over the Howrah Bridge and stopped buses carrying BJP workers in North 24 Parganas, ANI reported. Many were taken into preventive custody.
Twitter Post
Watch: LoP Suvendu Adhikari detained
#WATCH | West Bengal: Police detain BJP leaders including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, Rahul Sinha and MP Locket Chatterjee from Hastings in Kolkata ahead of BJP's Nabanna Chalo march
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2022
Leaders taken to Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar pic.twitter.com/aPgJm7q6Dn
Twitter Post
Take a look at the massive 'Nabanna Abhiyan'
West Bengal | BJP holds #NabannaChalo march against the state government, in Kolkata
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2022
(Source: BJP) pic.twitter.com/CsjfExOWz2
Clashes
Tensions rise in Kolkata
Reportedly, BJP workers clashed with the police at Bolpur Railway Station, and many workers were also stopped at Haldia, Nandigram, and Raniganj. BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar led a rally from Howrah Maidan, while former WB BJP chief Dilip Ghosh led workers from Kolkata's College Street. Adhikari was to lead a march from Satraganchi, where some workers allegedly lobbed bricks at the police.
Twitter Post
Watch: Barricades set up outside state secretariat
West Bengal | Police put up heavy barricading at Hastings near state government's new Secretariat in Kolkata ahead of BJP's Nabanna Chalo march https://t.co/jmotBSVjlY pic.twitter.com/RDL144e5wj
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2022
Quote
Dictatorship similar to North Korea in WB: Adhikari
Speaking to ANI before the march, Suvendu Adhikari quipped, "CM [Mamata Banerjee] doesn't have the support of her people...so she is enforcing dictatorship, similar to North Korea in Bengal... BJP is coming." Meanwhile, Sinha accused Banerjee of forcibly stopping the BJP's "democratic protest." Earlier, in preparation for Nabanna Abhiyan, the BJP booked special trains to carry its workers from far away regions to Kolkata.