BJP supporters clashed with police at a protest in Bengal on Thursday.
Calcutta:
Footage of police forcibly arresting a Sikh man during the BJP mega-protest in Kolkata on Thursday has sparked much controversy with the party accusing policemen of hurting religious sentiments by removing 43-year-old Balwinder Singh’s turban. , resident. from Bhatinda, during a confrontation on Howrah Maidan. However, police said the turban accidentally came off during the confrontation and showed how they made sure he put it back on before being arrested with a weapon.
But the controversy gained so much momentum on social media on Friday that even cricketer Harbhajan Singh tweeted, tagging Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, to say, “Please look into the matter. This is simply not done.”
Mr. Singh had a 9mm pistol taken from him. After his arrest, he provided a gun license, valid until January of the next year. The licensee appears to be a former Indian Army soldier from the Rashtriya Rifle Battalion.
Howrah Police have said they had no intention of removing his turban. But videos of his confrontation with police went viral on Friday, showing him removing his turban and being beaten by police even as he fell to the ground, have sparked a fight.
The interested party carried firearms in yesterday’s protest. El Pagri had automatically fallen in the fight that followed, without our officer trying (visible in the attached video). It is never our intention to hurt the feelings of any community (1/2) pic.twitter.com/aE8UgN36W5
– West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) October 9, 2020
The West Bengal Police respect all religions. The officer specifically asked him to return his Pagri prior to the arrest. The attached photo was clicked just before he was escorted to the police station. We remain committed to our duty to respect law and order in the state (2/2) pic.twitter.com/BnTWztfDGW
– West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) October 9, 2020
However, not only the BJP leaders, but even a Shiromani Akali Dal member urged Mamata Banerjee to take action against the police personnel involved in the incident.
Please take a look at this matter @MamataOfficial Do not do it ???????? https://t.co/mKrbQhn1qy
– Harbhajan Turban (@harbhajan_singh) October 9, 2020
कलकत्ता में सेक्युरिटी ऑफिसर बलविंदर सिंह की पगड़ी खींचकर, सड़क पर घसीट कर बर्बर तरीके से पीटा जाना बेहद शर्मनाक और निंदनीय है@MamataOfficial जी से हमारी माँग- दोषी पुलिसवालों के खिलाफ 295A मुकदमा का दर्ज किया जाये और सख़्त सजा दी जाये@And me@TimesNow@republic@ABPNewspic.twitter.com/BKWkS7Hcyv
– #Istandwithfarmers Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) October 9, 2020
Yeh tasweer dekhke mai stabdh hoon !! Agar yeh kiya hai Bengal police ne (Sab kehe rehe hain ke yeh sach hai) toh unki specimen saaza honi chahiye aur @TajinderBagga Bhai, mai aapse yeh kahunga ke iss ghatna ko lekar aap Court jaiye #FaltuDidirPaltuPolice#BanglarLojjaMamatahttps://t.co/YBQDT1TSxr
– Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) October 9, 2020
सरदार बलविंदर सिंह जी की पगड़ी खींच कर बंगाल पुलिस ने देश के सभी सिखों का अपमान किया है, आज ऐसा प्रतीत होता है कि कि में पुनः मुग़लों का शासन स्थापित हो गया है।
क्या बंगाल में एक समुदाय विशेष को छोड़ कर बाकी किसी की भी धार्मिक भावनाओं का सम्मान नही रहा? pic.twitter.com/uYjCl7G6ze
– Arvind Menon (@MenonArvindBJP) October 9, 2020
Hundreds of BJP protesters clashed with police in front of Bengal’s government secretariat “Nabanna” on Thursday, breaking down security measures for COVID-19, including social distancing. Footage from the scene showed police dressed in riot gear trying to disperse the crowd with tear gas and water cannons while stones were thrown from the other side.
The BJP held the protest “Nabanna Chalo” (Let’s go to Nabanna) in defiance of government orders to prohibit large gatherings. The new head of the BJP’s youth wing, Tejasvi Surya, flew to the city to participate in the protest, which was seen as the party’s show of force in the state capital, Calcutta.
After noon, the BJP had held three marches and all were heading towards the Secretary of State. The largest of them, Maidan, was led by Tejasvi Surya. The protesters were stopped midway, prompting angry BJP supporters to attack the police with stones. When they tried to tear down the barricades, the police responded with tear gas canisters.
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