The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday alleged that one of its party workers died due to police lathi charge, at a rally in West Bengal’s Siliguri city. In a video tweeted by the state unit of the party, BJP held Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the home ministry, responsible for the death of Ulen Roy.

Referring to the incident, the West Bengal Police said that a death has been reported, but the cause will be known only after a postmortem examination is conducted, ANI reported.

Earlier during the day, the police used tear gas shells and water cannons to stop BJP workers and leaders from approaching Uttar Kanya, the state secretariat in north Bengal, violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, reported the Hindustan Times.

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Members of the saffron party and its youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha pelted stones at the police, while leading two processions, according to the newspaper. Clashes between the police and the party members took place in at least four spots of the city, including at Tinbatti More and Phoolbari Bazar.

At one point in the rally, women volunteers approached barricades that were put up, trying to untie the ropes holding them. The police then resorted to a baton charge, following which chaos ensued, according to NDTV.

The protesters, agitating against the alleged misrule of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, were led by BJP’s state unit chief Dilip Ghosh, National Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, Lok Sabha MP Tejasvi Surya and state youth wing chief Saumitra Khan.

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In several tweets, BJP’s official handle and party leaders criticised the police and the state government for use of power against “peaceful demonstration”.

The BJP and Trinamool Congress have engaged in a number of incidents of violence in the lead up to state elections in West Bengal, scheduled to take place in April-May next year.