The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday blasted West Bengal State Chief Mamata Banerjee for what it described as a police crackdown on BJP members during a protest march organized to highlight alleged corruption in her government on Tuesday.
The federally ruling BJP is the main opposition party in West Bengal.
"The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government surpassed all limits of brutality, repression, and police torture while denying the legitimate right of the Opposition," BJP Parliamentarian and former federal Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said it during a media briefing in Delhi on Wednesday.
"Under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal has become lawless and bankrupt. She has been talking about saving democracy outside the boundaries of Bengal but failed to maintain democracy in her own state," he added.
Prasad's comments came a day after West Bengal police's alleged use of force to stop the protesting BJP members from reaching the state secretariat building in Kolkata.
The roads leading to the secretariat were blocked but police also used water cannons and tear gas to stop the BJP protest which aimed to highlight alleged corruption in the Bengal government. Police also baton-charged the protestors to bring the situation under control.
According to media reports, several police officers and BJP members were injured in the clashes on Tuesday.
BJP Parliamentarian Swapan Dasgupta and veteran politician Meena Devi Purohit were reportedly assaulted by police during the protest rally. Purohit is currently undergoing treatment at a city hospital and is said to be critical.
Meanwhile, Banerjee has defended the police action against the BJP workers, asserting that "hooliganism" has no place in her government.
"What happened yesterday was hooliganism. Public properties were destroyed. Police could have resorted to firing but exercised commendable restraint. Why would people carry bombs and firearms in their bags while coming to a democratic protest? Many policemen were injured in yesterday's protest. Antisocial activity in politics is not tolerable," she was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI.