Mamata holds seven-km march in Kolkata over desecration of Vidyasagar's statue

IANS photo

New Delhi: A day after BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow took a violent turn, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a march in Kolkata on Wednesday to protest against the clashes that took place, including vandalisation of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust. 

With the political temperature soaring in the state, Banerjee and her TMC supporters held a sveen-kilometre-long march from Beliaghata to Shyambazar in north Kolkata.

#WATCH Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee holds a march from Beliaghata to Shyambazar. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/3p2GYk5VAl — ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2019

Banerjee, clad in her trademark white saree, greeted hundreds of people who thronged the streets during the march which took place amidst heightened security.

On Tuesday, clashes broke out after miscreants threw sticks at Shah's convoy.

The incident took place on College Street when TMC supporters allegedly began sloganeering. Furious BJP supporters responded by pelting stones and sticks at the Calcutta University gates, resulting in chaos and mayhem.

During the clashes, Vidyasagar's bust was allegedly vandalised by BJP workers at Vidyasagar College.

While BJP accused the Banerjee government of "murdering democracy", the TMC claimed that the saffron party instigated the violence.

Since the Lok Sabha elections began on April 10, both BJP and TMC have been at loggerheads in West Bengal. 

Workers of two parties have repeatedly clashed with each other on polling days.

Voting for nine seats in the state will be held in the seventh and final phase of the general elections on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.