BJP takes out Tiranga Yatra in Kolkata, condemns alleged anti-national slogans

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took out a Tiranga Yatra from Sealdah to Dorina Crossing in central Kolkata on Monday, condemning what it described as “anti-national” slogans allegedly raised during a protest in the city on Friday.

The procession, organised by the BJP’s North Kolkata unit, saw party workers carrying the national flag and raising slogans against the alleged cries made during Friday’s demonstration, which later turned violent.

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“If you disrespect the Prime Minister of the country, disrespect the national flag, we will not let these go,” state Industry Minister Tapas Roy said at the rally.

The BJP rally came amid heightened political tensions following Friday’s violence at Dorina Crossing, where several journalists and police personnel were allegedly attacked while covering a student protest over the NEET controversy.

Several BJP leaders, including Roy and Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Purnima Chakraborty, participated in the procession along with party workers.

During the rally, some participants were seen placing flags associated with the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the CPI(M) on the ground.

The Tiranga Yatra passed through key roads before culminating at Dorina Crossing, the site of Friday’s clashes. Security personnel were deployed along the route to maintain law and order.

Friday’s protest had been organised by Left student organisations over the alleged NEET paper leak and was later joined by supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The protesters had demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and justice for students who allegedly faced police excesses during protests.

The rally, which began from Sealdah and proceeded towards Dorina Crossing, later turned violent, with journalists and police personnel allegedly being attacked with stones, shoes and water bottles.

Police have since arrested 16 people in connection with the violence and are investigating the role of those identified from video footage. Investigators have also alleged that some of the accused were outsiders with previous criminal records and were not students.

On Monday, journalists from various media organisations took out a protest march from the Kolkata Press Club to Dorina Crossing, demanding action against those responsible for the alleged attacks on media personnel and stronger measures to ensure the safety of journalists while performing their duties.

A delegation of journalists later submitted a memorandum to the Governor at Raj Bhavan, seeking justice for those injured in the violence.