19 more BJP men held, party on protest mode

Kolkata: A day after the unprecedented violence in central Kolkata by BJP supporters, the party leadership threatened to launch more intensive movements in the city to revive their urban support base. 
To protest the arrest of 19 BJP supporters in connection with Tuesday’s violence, the party took out a rally from College Street. Supporters burnt an effigy of chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at the Esplanade crossing on Wednesday afternoon. 
While BJP leaders have been trying to say that none of their supporters had hurled bombs and that the violence was a “conspiracy of police and CPM”, senior police officers claimed that BJP supporters were directly involved in the violence. “We have recovered two live bombs hidden beneath the dais. Our men had sustained burn injuries, which suggest that people from the rally had hurled bombs towards the cops,” said a senior police officer. 
Earlier on Tuesday, police had rounded up 433 BJP supporters for violating Section 144 CrPC. They were taken to Presidency jail and were released on bail in the evening. Senior BJP leaders were among these 433 persons. 
Apart from them, 19 more were arrested for specific causes, who were booked under stringent sections: 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (grievous hurt), 427 (mischief), 353 (assaulting government employees) and the Explosive Substances Act. 
All these 19 people were produced in court and remanded in five days’ police custody. 
In the recent past, it is for the first time that police has slapped such non-bailable stringent sections against any political activist for such violence during a political rally. “We have enough reasons to slap such sections,” said Jt CP (crime) Damayanti Sen. 
BJP leaders, however, branded the incident as a “conspiracy” against their party. They observed Wednesday as black day (kaala diwas). Wearing black badges, BJP activists took out a silent rally. “We have informed our senior leaders in Delhi about the incident. They are ready to come to Kolkata and we are planning a more intense movement,” said Rahul Sinha, state BJP president. 
Senior BJP leaders, however, hinted that Trinamool Congress will be their main target in the coming days, as the party has eroded the BJP’s staunch Hindu support base in the state.

TIMES OF INDIA (2 December 2010)