3 Bengal BJP MLAs detained for flouting lockdown norms

Three BJP MLAs were detained on Sunday in North Bengal’s Siliguri for staging a sit-in on the first day of West Bengal lockdown. Lockdown in the state will continue till May 30.

The BJP MLAs, on the first day of the lockdown, were protesting against the irregularities in health infrastructure in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

Siliguri MLA Shankar Ghosh, Dabgram-Fulbari MLA Sikha Chatterjee and Matigara-Naxalbari MLA Anandamoy Barman have been detained, the BJP Bengal unit said.


In the wake of the pandemic, some businessmen are resorting to unethical means by black marketing oxygen cylinders, taking money in lieu of arranging beds. The three MLAs were protesting against such illegal practices, BJP MLAs said. The MLAs were released after three hours.

Meanwhile, Kolkata and other cities in West Bengal bore a deserted look as police enforced stringent lockdown measures, charged fines on lockdown violators and even made them do sit-ups. The police urged people to stay at home through microphones. Police had to resort to lathicharge in some places like Canning in South 24 Parganas Howrah as social distancing norms were violated in the market. In a bid to break the chain, West Bengal went under a complete lockdown for two weeks starting from Sunday. The state government has already said schools, colleges, gyms, restaurants, bars and shopping malls will remain closed. Local train and metro services and all other modes of public vehicles will remain closed too.