West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders led two rallies in Kolkata on Monday with national flags, calling it a Tiranga Yatra by “nationalists” against the ones held by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other “anti-nationalist forces”.
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One started from Sealdah in north Kolkata and ended at Esplanade, the same route followed by the Left-backed rally on July 24 to express solidarity with the CJP-led protests at Jantar Mantar to press for former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. The second rally was held from Golpark to Jadavpur in south Kolkata.
“This is a people’s movement against anti-nationals who are trying to defame the nation and the central government through false propaganda. Nationalist citizens will not allow that,” said industry minister Tapas Roy, who joined the rally in north Kolkata along with municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul.
“Our country’s economy is developing. Many forces cannot stand that. That is why disruptive activities are being planned, but people will resist such efforts,” added Paul.
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The participants of the rally did not carry party flags of the Bharatiya Janata Party but many carried placards that referred to the CJP and the Left parties as “enemies of the state” and “tukde tukde gang”.
Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was touring north Bengal, also referred to the “tukde tukde gang” in his statements, declaring that the “nationalist governments at the Centre and the state would not let the ‘tukde tukde gang’ weaken the nation”.
On Friday evening, tensions escalated during an agitation led by CJP supporters and Left student unions against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak. Police alleged that some protesters attempted to assault security personnel, while journalists covering the demonstration also came under attack.
Adhikari visited the injured at the hospital hours after the incident and announced a counter rally.
