Bengal BJP MPs to stage 'dharna' over killing of party workers

New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) To pay tribute to BJP workers killed in political violence, BJP MPs from West Bengal will stage a 'dharna' at Rajghat in the national capital on Wednesday.

The West Bengal BJP will also organise similar 'dharnas' across the state against killing of its workers. The saffron party planned the protest to coincide with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Martyrs Day rally.

West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh told IANS that party leaders will stage a dharna at Rajghat in Delhi and at block levels across the state to pay tribute to workers killed in violence allegedly sponsored by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

"In Delhi all the BJP MPs from West Bengal will join the dharna to pay tribute to 175 workers who lost their lives in political violence. While our leaders in West Bengal will stage similar dharna at all the blocks across the state tomorrow morning to remember all those who lost their lives in state-sponsored violence," Ghosh said.

Talking about the killing of a BJP worker in Raiganj, Ghosh said, "Today one of our workers was killed in Raiganj and they tied a TMC flag in his mouth. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is trying to create fear among BJP workers in which she will not succeed," the Bengal BJP chief said.

The saffron party's dharna to remember slain party workers will be coinciding with Chief Minister Banerjee's Martyrs Day rally. Banerjee observes Martyrs Day in remembrance of 13 people killed in a Youth Congress rally in 1993. She was then a member of the Congress party. Banerjee will also be addressing a virtual rally to observe this year Martyrs Day.