The BJP’s West Bengal unit on Friday organised a march to ‘Swasthya Bhawan’, the headquarters of the state health department, to protest against the administration’s alleged failure to check the spread of Adenovirus that left several children dead. Several saffron party leaders were injured as the police used force to disperse the “unlawful assembly”.
Carrying posters and placards against the state government, the BJP's women and youth wing activists marched towards Swasthya Bhawan in Salt Lake area, shouting slogans against the state government.
The police had put up barricades at various spots to prevent them from advancing towards the office. Senior officers tried to persuade BJP state general secretary Agnimitra Paul and BJP Yuva Morcha leader Indranil Khan to stop the programme.
“This area is under Sec 144 (of CrPC), and this is an unlawful assembly. We would request you to go back. You don't have any permission to conduct the march,” a police officer was heard telling the protestors.
As the BJP activists remained adamant to continue the march, the police used force to disperse them, in which a few BJP leaders, including state Mahila Morcha president Tanuja Chakraborty, were injured. The police also detained Khan and several other BJP activists.
“The police said Sec 144 is there. So, they could have allowed two-three of us to meet the officials and submit our deputation. We were not allowed to do that even. This is the true face of this authoritarian government, which has completely failed to control the situation,” Paul, a BJP MLA, said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said in the assembly that six children died in the state due to Adenovirus and urged people to start using face masks again to combat the menace.
The BJP had staged a protest in the assembly premises on Thursday accusing the TMC government of not doing enough to check the spread of adenovirus, drawing a sharp retort from the ruling party which said the state government is doing enough and is well-equipped to tackle the menace of Adenovirus. Adenovirus infections most commonly affect the respiratory system. These infections can cause symptoms similar to the common cold or flu.
