BJP, Congress hold noisy demonstrations in Kolkata

Kolkata: Slogan shouting BJP youth workers vandalised posters, festoons and banners containing Rahul Gandhi's pictures and threw ink at the police outside the Congress headquarters here, prompting Congress activists to stage a retaliatory demonstration about 100 metres from the saffron party's state office here on Saturday.

As part of its countrywide agitation demanding that Congress must apologise for alleging corruption in the Rafale deal after the Supreme Court dismissed a review petition of the same on Thursday, around 100-150 BJP workers raising "Rahul Gandhi hai hai" slogans marched from the Ramlila Ground to Bidhan Bhavan, where a huge police contingent was posted to prevent any trouble.

The belligerent Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) cadres fought pitched battles with the police and threw ink at their uniforms.

They also tore and splashed ink on festoons, posters, banners and hoardings containing Rahul Gandhi's pictures outside the Bidhan Bhavan. They also threw ink on the building's main gate.

Before leaving, they tore Congress flags and put up their own flags on the gate.

The Congress workers retaliated after some time by staging a noisy demonstration on Central Avenue, trying to go to the BJP state headquarters on Muralidhar Sen Lane.

However, the police stopped the Congress workers about 100 metres from the BJP office.

The protesters, numbering around 100, shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hurled eggs and tomatoes at the police.