West Bengal Assembly Election: The right-wing youth were wearing T-shirts saying 'Modi Para'
The BJP-Trinamool Congress' bitter battle for West Bengal has now reached the iconic Coffee House in Kolkata.
Around 4.30 pm Monday, BJP supporters in saffron T-Shirts swarmed into the first floor of Coffee House on College Street, and tore up posters on the walls of the staircase that said "No Votes to BJP".
A group of activists is running this "No Votes to BJP" campaign. They had held a large march in Kolkata on March 10 against the BJP and have been campaigning in villages against the opposition party.
Activists present inside Coffee House at the time of the incident said the right-wing youth were wearing T-shirts saying 'Modi Para' and were allegedly led by controversial BJP spokesperson Tejinder Singh Bagga.
Mr Bagga later tweeted pictures and videos of the incident.
While some posters were torn down, on some, the word "No" was blackened. Angry slogans were exchanged, pitting Khudiram versus Nathuram.
"No Vote to BJP (campaign) strongly condemns such hooliganism in the name of campaigning and heckling of activists," the group said in a statement to the media.
They will be back on College Street on Tuesday to put up fresh 'No Vote to BJP' posters and protest the right-wing action at Coffee House.
"The right-wing forces should be made aware that people of Bengal do not want them and their disruptive behaviour in the state," one of the activists, Priyasmita, told NDTV.
'Modipara' is an app for the supporters of Narendra Modi, which was launched by Amit Shah during one of his recent visits to Bengal. Its objective: to attract voters in each 'para' or neighbourhood. It has brought together youngsters who are on the streets in Kolkata campaigning for BJP.