BJP MP, others detained in Kolkata prior to protest rally against Bengal govt's OBC policy

Kolkata, Aug 29 (PTI) BJP MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato was detained along with several protesters here before the start of a march to the West Bengal assembly on Friday, to voice their opposition against the state government’s OBC policy, police said.

A senior officer said Mahato and 30 others were taken into prison vans when around 100 members of the ‘West Bengal OBC Adhikar Raksha Manch’ blocked the College Street-Surya Sen Street, around 1 km away from the assembly.

Mahato said the rally was planned to protest against the move of the state government to include members of a minority community in the OBC list, though they feature in the existing reservation list.

"We are against illegal minority reservation, depriving the OBCs. But, the Mamata Banerjee government only believes in appeasement politics. They are not interested in the uplift of either minorities or OBCs," he alleged.

The protesters had earlier disrupted traffic movement on the College Street-Bowbazar stretch for half an hour, police said. PTI SUS RBT