Cops Used Disproportionate Force: BJP's Swapan Dasgupta On Bengal Protest

"I don't blame the police. I blame the state government. Mamata Banerjee does not want a protest from the BJP. She is happy to allow protests from the Left but not the BJP," Swapan Dasgupta said.

The Bengal police used "disproportionate force" to crack down on BJP protesters, for which the Mamata Banerjee government should be blamed, the BJP's Swapan Dasgupta told NDTV today in an exclusive interview.  "I don't blame the police. I blame the state government. Mamata Banerjee does not want a protest from the BJP. She is happy to allow protests from the Left but not the BJP," he said. 

Parts of state capital Kolkata and neighbouring Howrah turned into battle zone during the BJP protest earlier today. Protesters making their way to the state secretariat from various parts of the city clashed with the police. Videos from the spot showed flag-waving protesters taking on the police, beating them with bamboo poles. There was arson too, with a police car being torched in the busy Mahatma Gandhi Road area of central Kolkata.

The police used batons, tear gas and water cannons to bring the crowd under control. A group of leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and MP Locket Chatterjee were detained.

Mr Dasgupta, who had participated in today's protests and emerged looking shaky, said the police had first used water cannons, which was immediately followed by tear gas. Then they used batons on the protesters, unleashing panic and chaos.