BJP holds silent protest at Jantar Mantar over violence at Amit Shah's Kolkata roadshow

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday held a silent protest at Jantar Mantar here against the violence that took place during Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Many top leaders of the party, including Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Dr Jitendra Singh and Vijay Goel, were seen sitting with a finger on their lips, holding placards that read - 'Save Bengal Save Democracy'. The leaders also wore black bands as a mark of protest.

On Tuesday, clashes had broken out between BJP supporters and Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) activists after stones were allegedly pelted at Shah's convoy as it passed through College Street. The protest left several injured and the police later told Shah to immediately end the roadshow.

Bengali polymath Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue was also vandalised during the clashes.

After the silent protest, Goel told ANI that Mamata Banerjee knows that she is losing which is why she is instigating violence across the state.

"There is no place for violence in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee is regularly fanning violence across the state. She knows that TMC is losing and BJP is moving ahead. This is absolutely not acceptable to anybody that the national president of the largest party which is at the Centre is not allowed to conduct a roadshow," he said.

Polling for nine seats in Bengal is scheduled to be held in the seventh phase of Lok Sabha election on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.