Patty vendor assault: Another BJP worker arrested from Uttarpara

According to police and local sources, officers from Maidan police station in Kolkata arrested Tarun Bhattacharya, a resident of 10, Gyanendra Avenue, Ward No. 14 of Uttarpara, in the early hours today. He has been charged under Sections 189(2), 126(2), 115(2), 324(2) and 299 of the Indian Penal Code.

On 7 December, a mass recitation of the Gita was organised at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. A video showing a patty vendor being assaulted during the event went viral on social media, sparking political controversy in the state. Following a complaint, police launched an investigation and subsequently arrested Bhattacharya from Uttarpara.

Advertisement

Bhattacharya himself had posted a video on social media, claiming to have been present at the time of the incident and making certain remarks.

Today, his mother-in-law, Sathi Mukherjee, stated: “The vendor claimed he was selling vegetable patties, but when my son-in-law tasted one, he discovered they were actually chicken patties. He asked the vendor to leave the place promptly, but the vendor refused. An altercation followed, and others, in a fit of rage, slapped the vendor.”

Indrajit Ghosh, Trinamul Congress president of Uttarpara town, condemned the attack on the snack vendor, saying, “The police have taken legal action.”

Meanwhile, Pankaj Roy, BJP organisational district member of Srirampur, said the party stands in support of Bhattacharya’s family.