Members of the BJP's youth wing clashed with the police in Kolkata today as they held protests against the Municipal Corporation over the spurt in cases of dengue in and around the city. The police used batons to control the protesters, who were marching towards the civic body headquarters in central Kolkata.
Led by the party's state unit chief Dilip Ghosh, the BJP workers had taken out the rally. They had planned to gherao the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, but stopped by barricades near the civic body headquarters, the protesters started throwing water bottles and stones. The police had retaliated with water cannons.
Several BJP activists were later detained, reported news agency Press Trust of India, quoting sources.
Since January, 25 people died of dengue in the state and 44,852 dengue cases were reported from Kolkata and its adjoining areas, reported PTI.
The BJP has accused the Trinamool Congress government of not doing enough to control the spread of dengue and improve healthcare. The BJP has accused the Trinamool Congress government of trying to "hush up" the figures.
The two parties had been at loggerheads over the last two years as the BJP tried to expand its footprint in the state. In the April-May Lok Sabha elections, the party won 18 of the state's 42 Lok Sabha seats. .
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