BJP stages protest against attack on Ghosh, meets Guv

Kolkata:  The BJP on Friday took out rallies, burnt effigies of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in various parts of the state and staged a sit-in here in protest against the attack on its state unit chief Dileep Ghosh in Darjeeling.

A BJP delegation, led by the party’s national secretary, Rahul Sinha, met West Bengal governor K.N. Tripathi at the Raj Bhavan here and submitted a memorandum to him, demanding an immediate arrest of those involved in the attack on Mr Ghosh.

Mr Sinha also led a BJP rally at Hazra Road, near Banerjee’s residence, and demanded a statement from the chief minister on the incident which took place on Thursday.

Ms Banerjee’s effigies were burnt in various parts of the state by BJP supporters, who shouted slogans demanding a “restoration of democracy” in the state. They also staged a sit-in on the busy Hazra Road. Rallies were taken out in various parts of the state by BJP workers, demanding the arrest of the culprits.

 For the last two days, agitators in Darjeeling Hills have been demanding that Mr Ghosh and his BJP team leave the Darjeeling Hills immediately and refrain from disturbing the “peace and stability” in the region.

The BJP leaders have also been shown black flags by various hill parties. The ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC) leadership in the state meanwhile accused the BJP of trying to disturb the peace in the Darjeeling Hills and said it would take out rallies across the state to counter the saffron party and burn effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Tomorrow, from 1 pm to 2 pm, we will hold protest rallies and burn effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The central government is helping the divisive forces in the  Hills,” Trinamul Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee told reporters. Mr Ghosh, who left for Sikkim along with the BJP team on Friday, earlier told reporters in Darjeeling that he would convey all the demands related to the  Hills to the Centre.

 To questions on whether he would meet Gurung, who is on the run.

Mr Ghosh said the GJM supremo had rung him up and criticised the attack on him.