Three BJP supporters were arrested on Sunday night by Kolkata Police for raising ‘goli maro’ slogan on their way to the pro-CAA rally attended by Union home minister Amit Shah yesterday. The arrested persons, identified as Pankaj Prasad, Surendra Kumar Tewari and Dhruba Basu, were apprehended after a complaint was lodged against them at New Market police station.

Police said that they have identified more than 20 persons who were involved in slogan- shouting from the CCTV footages and they will be brought to book. “This illegal act by passing provocative slogans ‘desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maro sale ko’ by the supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party is a congnizable offence,” said a senior police officer at Lalbazar.

The trio were arrested based on a complaint registered by one Indrajit Kumar Mal, a resident of Jawaharlal Nehru Road at New Market police station. Police said that the accused have been booked under IPC sections 153A (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 505 (Making statements conducing to public mischief), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

Two of these sections are nonbailable. The trio were picked up from their residences after police identified them by scanning the CCTV footages in the area. A group of BJP supporters were seen raising the ‘desh ke gaddaro ko goli maro saalon ko’ (shoot all those who betray the country) slogan near Esplanade while on their way to attend the rally at Shahid Minar ground.

The members were seen carrying party flags and wearing saffron robes and the videos showing the purported BJP supporters shouting the ‘goli maro’ slogan were circulated in the social media platforms. Controversy erupted over the inflammatory slogan of ‘goli maro’ raised from several BJP rallies ahead of Delhi assembly polls.

Thousands of Congress and Left Front activists hit the streets during the Union home minister’s visit yesterday in protest against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act and communal violence in Delhi. Two of the accused – Pankaj Prasad and Surendra Kumar Tewari – have been remanded to police custody till 4 March after being produced in the court today while the third accused Dhruba Basu has been granted bail on the ground of his old age.

Meanwhile, city police commissioner Anuj Sharma in a statement today said, “Some persons allegedly shouted provocative slogans having potential to disturb public tranquillity yesterday from a procession while going to attend a political rally.” A complaint was received at New Market police station based on which three of the identified persons have been arrested.

Further raid to arrest the remaining accused persons is on. Officers-in-charge of all police stations have been directed to initiate strong legal action against any person who tries to provoke or instigate in any way which may lead to a breach in peace.