BJP youth wing president detained for blocking road

Chatterjee has been taken to police remand for three days, the police official said. "We are organising a sit-in to protest against the arrest of our party workers and demand their immediate release," Khan said before his detention.

BJP youth wing president in West Bengal, Soumitra Khan was detained for blocking a road by organising a sit-in outside the city police commissioner's office here on Saturday, police said. Khan, also the party's MP from Bishnupur, had organised the sit-in to protest against the arrest of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state secretary Bappa Chatterjee.

Chatterjee was arrested on Friday for allegedly sharing on social media a "fake and provocative photo" of a signboard of the Asansol Municipal Corporation, police said. Chatterjee has been taken to police remand for three days, the police official said.

"We are organising a sit-in to protest against the arrest of our party workers and demand their immediate release," Khan said before his detention. The BJP youth activists continued their agitation despite being asked repeatedly to withdraw it and blocked the road for several hours since morning, a senior police official said.

"So we had to use force to lift the blockade and detained BJP activists including Soumitra Khan. All of them were released later," he said. Asansol Lok Sabha MP and union minister Babul Supriyo condemned the arrest.

Strongly Condemn the Arrest & Police Atrocity meted out to @BJYM State Pres Honble MP SoumitroKhan& my BJYM brothers in Asansol who were peacefully protesting the wrongful arrest of BJYM State Sec. BappaChatterjee @WBPolice have become mere slaves of #TMchhi #BanglarLojjaMamata, Supriyo tweeted. Senior TMC leader and Asansol Mayor Jitendra Tiwari accused BJYM of trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the area.

According to the police, Chatterjee has been taken into police remand for three days. Khan's detention led to sporadic protests by BJYM workers in various parts of the state.