BJP leader Krishna Bhattacharya’s house allegedly attacked by TMC workers

Furious over the arrest of Bandyopadhyay, the TMC leader in the Lok Sabha and a close Mamata Banerjee aide, party workers also demonstrated in front of CBI offices in Kolkata and Bhubaneshwar, where the MP was taken for production in a court after his arrest.

She also called for massive protests following the arrest of Bandyopadhyay.. She took on Modi at a time when even the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party were waiting to see how the policy played out.

Sources said that Sudip Bandopadhyay and Tapas Pal would be interrogated together by CBI in Bhubaneswar, so that more names related to the scam may be revealed.

Meanwhile, a group of Trinamool supporters led by party leader Paresh Pal rallied in north Kolkata’s Kankurgachi.

“It is all because of our fight against NoteBandi (note ban)”. We are and will be with the people.

“As we believe in democracy, BJP will never do such violence and I request a senior politician like Mamata Banerjee to respect democracy and stop such violence”, he added.

Bandopadhyay is the second MP from the ruling Trinamool to have been arrested in the multi-crore scam. Initially, BJP workers tried to prevent the attack with lathis but failed as the mob pelted stones and bricks.

Brickbats flew thick and fast and BJP spokesperson Jayprakash Majumder said at least 20 of their party workers and some policemen were injured. A few bled from the head as they spoke to the media.

The agitators with banners and placards in hand shouted anti-Modi slogans like “Narendra Modi dur hato” (Narendra Modi go away) and hailed Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her fight against the Centre. TMC district leaders have said that they will continue blocking any highway or road that connects the two states until the party’s higher leadership asks them to stand down.

She blamed them for creating an “emergency” situation by clamping down on political parties for speaking against them. “Today it has happened in the heart of the city so it has been noticed”, she said.

Dismissing the allegations, BJP leader Piyush Goyal said the central government “never interferes” in any investigation process.

“A case has been registered under sections143 (unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common intention), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by unsafe weapons or means) and 427 (mischief causing damage) of IPC”, said Vineet Goyal, ACP (I). “People of India have supported the move”.