Police resorts to lathi charge at ABVP activists during protest rally

The police on Tuesday resorted to a "mild lathi-charge" and arrested over 20 ABVP activists after a scuffle between them during a march to the West Bengal health department headquarters to protest against the alleged rape and murder of an RG Kar Hospital medic.

The protestors demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who also doubles up as the state's health and home minister.

The police had put up barricades at several roads leading to Swasthya Bhavan, which the ABVP activists tried to breach, a senior officer said.

"We have only one demand - the resignation of the chief minister. What happened at the (RG Kar) hospital is unthinkable," a woman ABVP activist said.

The police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the protestors and arrested over 20 ABVP activists including its national secretary Rahul Rana.

"Among those arrested, there were four women," a senior police officer of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said.