The Trinamool Congress on Thursday, 15 September, undertook a protest march against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and their "Nabanna Chalo" rally, holding placards ridiculing BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's purported "don't touch my body" remark.
A video has been going viral on social media in which Adhikari is purportedly heard telling a female police official, "Don't touch my body. You are a lady, I am male."
He made the comments while he was being detained amid the rally.
A video of his remarks was also shared by the TMC on the party's official Twitter handle.
Taking a dig at Adhikari, the TMC staged a protest, led by minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, with placards reading, "Suvendu: Don't touch my body I am male."
Another placard read, "Modi Ji: Entire India is on sale. Nirmala Tai: All our ideas are going to fail."
The TMC also reportedly showcased similar placards inside the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday.
The Protest March on Tuesday
Several BJP leaders apart from Adhikari had been detained by the police amid the rally on Tuesday, including Rahul Sinha and Locket Chatterjee, while they were trying to reach the state secretariat in Kolkata to mark their protest.
Fifteen people were also arrested by the Kolkata Police amid the violence that ensued during the BJP protest.
The police registered seven First Information Reports (FIRs) for unlawful assembly, violation of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), rioting, attack on police officials, and torching of a police van.
Out of the 15 people nabbed, three of them were arrested for attacking the assistant police commissioner and one for torching the police van.
The arrests were made during night-long raids in Beliaghata, Topsia, and Bowbazar areas, after Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Debajit Chattopadhyay was assaulted with sticks in the Bowbazar area during the BJP's protest against the West Bengal government's alleged corruption.
"Yesterday, an ACP was grievously injured, several police personnel were also injured, Durga Puja market was disrupted, people were harassed and public properties were vandalised," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, as per news agency ANI.
She further added, "People from other states were brought in to create nuisance in Bengal. They (BJP) brought bombs and pistols and did hooliganism in the name of protests. I've never stopped democratic protests, but no anti-social activity will be tolerated in the name of politics."
A police vehicle was also torched near the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar.
(With inputs from ANI.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)