Kolkata: Despite repeated requests by the police to stay calm and maintain law and order, BJP workers became violent and attacked police personnel using bricks and glass bottles on Wednesday afternoon, during a rally at Chandni Chowk. At least four police personnel were injured in the scuffle while resisting BJP workers. 42 BJP leaders and workers were subsequently arrested. On Wednesday, BJP Yuva Morcha was scheduled to submit a deputation regarding civic amenities and dengue following a rally. Police had earlier told the BJP leaders that the rally would be intercepted in the Chandni Chowk area. As per the plan, police were ready with water cannons and had also installed aluminum guard walls to stop the BJP workers. In the afternoon, the rally started from BJPs state office in Murlidhar Sen Lane. Though the partys state president Dilip Ghosh was leading the rally, he left after walking a few hundred metres. After the rally reached Chandni Chowk, police intercepted the party workers and asked the leaders to maintain law and order. But the saffron leaders allegedly did not try to stop their workers and on the contrary, urged them to move on. When police tried to stop the BJP workers, they allegedly attacked police personnel. While police were resisting the BJP workers at the front, some of them from the crowd behind started throwing bricks and glass bottles. The BJP workers even tried to break the guard walls and also tried to climb up and attack police personnel. Seeing no other way, police used water cannons to stop the BJP workers from moving ahead. Lathicharge was also initiated to stop the violent mob. Soon, the place almost turned into a battlefield. After the police action BJP workers stepped back a bit but soon the Mahila Morcha workers of BJP put up a road blockade near Chandni Chowk led by actor Rimjhim Mitra. To free up the road, police subsequently arrested 13 women from there. 29 other BJP leaders and workers were also arrested and all of them were taken to Lalbazar central lock-up. Later in the evening, they were released after necessary documentation.

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