The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has sought permission from the Kolkata Police to conduct a dharna at the same spot in Kolkata where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee organised a sit-in protest last week, PTI reported. BJP General Secretary Sayantan Basu said on Monday that the party has sent a letter to the police for a dharna from February 21 to 23.
Basu said the “Save Democracy” protest will demand that democracy be restored in West Bengal. “Whenever in the past we had asked for permission to organise a sit-in demonstration at the Metro Channel, the police denied us permission citing traffic rules,” he said. “But if the Trinamool Congress was allowed to organise a dharna there, why can’t we do it?”
Basu said the party will not use loudspeakers as school and college examinations will be under way during the time.
However, Kolkata Police officials claimed they have not received any letter from the BJP. “If we receive it, we will take a call,” a police officer said.
Banerjee had organised a “Save the Constitution” sit-in from February 3 to 5, after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrived at the residence of Kolkata Commissioner of Police Rajeev Kumar in connection with the Saradha and Rose Valley scams. The Supreme Court on February 5 ruled that Kumar, who was allegedly absconding, must cooperate with the investigation, but restrained the CBI from arresting him.
Subsequently, Banerjee ended her three-day dharna and claimed that it was a moral victory for the state police.
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