Police eye on BJP meet for arms marchers

A gate put up ahead of the BJP workers' meet in Raiganj on Friday.
Picture by KousikSen

KOUSIK SEN, TT, Mar 30, 2018, Raiganj: Policemen in mufti will keep close vigil at the workers' meet of BJP that would be held at the Raiganj Institute Hall here on Friday to find out whether those seen carrying arms on Ram Navami are there at the meeting, sources at the North Dinajpur district administration said on Thursday.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh will be present at the meeting.

The move, sources said, is an indication that the police and administration are gradually tightening their grip on the BJP supporters who had attended the Ram Navami rallies held in the district on last Saturday and Sunday.

In at least three rallies, some rallyists were seen carrying arms. Police acted immediately for violation of government order and filed suo motu cases in three police stations. Also, four persons, including a leader of Vishwa Hindu Parishad here, were arrested for carrying arms.

"We suspect that many such participants of the rallies, who were wielding arms and had violated the state's order, might be present at the workers' meet. That is why policemen in plainclothes will be deployed at the meeting venue," said a source.

He however, did not divulge whether if any such rallyist, accused of carry arms, is seen in the meeting - police are checking out video footages of the rallies to identify them - will be immediately hauled up.

The police however, will continue conducting raids to nab all those accused of violating law, added the source.

With the police planning to engage their men, district BJP leaders said they are apprehensive of "false arrests".

"We suspect that the police might try to foil our meet by arresting our workers and slapping false charges on them. They have already arrested four party workers in past two days. If anything as such happens, we will immediately resort to protests," said Nirmal Dam, the North Dinajpur district BJP president.

Party insiders said that workers of five Assembly constituencies, who would be present at the meeting on Friday, have been asked to move in groups.

"If they move in groups, they can raise protests if police makes any false moves. They can also inform us if they are prevented from reaching the meeting venue. Some of our workers will also keep a watch across the town to see whether the police are resorting to coercion," said an insider.

On Wednesday, Sajal Mitra, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief of Raiganj, was arrested along with three others for allegedly carrying arms at Ram Navami rallies. Mitra was produced in a local court on Wednesday and granted bail.