Election 2019: There was high drama after BJP workers were evicted from a hotel in Bengal.
Hours after BJP chief Amit Shah held a rally in West Bengal's Barasat, about 40 km from Kolkata, there was high drama in the constituency last night.
Several BJP workers from Gujarat who were staying at a local hotel were evicted by the police last evening after bitter arguments. They were asked to leave after a routine pre-poll check of hotels and also because Trinamool Congress candidate Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar told the police that she suspected the BJP outsiders were there with money and arms ahead of the final round of the national election. The eviction was not smooth. The evicted BJP workers went to the home of a local BJP worker, Tuhin Mondal.
The Trinamool candidate, meanwhile, held a sit-in outside the local police station demanding action against the BJP workers.
Trouble erupted outside the home of Tuhin Mondal with locals agitated at the sudden flurry of vehicles that arrived there with the BJP leaders and workers.
After several vehicles were reported vandalised, the police went to the home of Tuhin Mondal to probe the matter. The whole house was in darkness and no one responded to repeated calls by the police to open up.
The police then broke the grill gate, forced open a large wooden door and turned on the lights.
Deep inside the house were a few men including local BJP leader Pradeep Banerjee who said they were about to start a party meeting. He also confirmed that the meeting was attended by RSS leader and BJP's co-incharge of Bengal, Arvind Menon.
Local, many of them Trinamool Congress supporters, gathered outside the BJP worker's home and started protesting. The police had to escort the BJP supporters to safety to the police station.
Late last evening, the BJP said in its media WhatsApp group that Mr Menon's vehicle was attacked near Barasat.
The BJP supporters left the police station after party leader Mukul Roy reached the station at 1:30 am.
Earlier in the evening, BJP office-bearer Shishir Bajoria tweeted, "WBPolice officers have informed that no Gujaratis can stay in the district of Barasat and they have to leave immediately, even though the next phase of polls is 6 days away. Their message is rather clear. NO Gujaratis."
Mukul Roy alleged that it was Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who travels with cash in cars that follow her.
Nine parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal, including Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar will vote in the last phase of the Lok Sabhaelection on May 19.