Black day for democracy: BJP cries

kolkata: state bjp president ashim ghosh has described the police crackdown on the party’s leadership on saturday as a black day for democracy in west bengal. speaking to tnn, from lalbazar central lock-up over his mobile phone, ghosh said that by arresting the bjp workers and leaders on march 15, the left front was merely trying to recover the support base they had lost over the madrassah issue.on saturday, the police arrested bjp workers from different parts of the city where they had gathered to highlight their demand for peace. concerted action against terrorism was also part of the agenda. the police, however, refused to allow the gatherings and arrested the leaders including the state president ashim ghosh and state vice-president muzaffar khan. the two, along with other leaders, were released around 5 pm. “the police could not tell us why we were arrested. bjp is not banned. neither was there any prohibitory orders banning any kind of gatherings. it is a black day for democracy. we have instructed our workers not to seek release on personal bond,� ghosh said. also locked in jail, bjp state vice-president, muzaffar khan said that the state unit will write to l.k. advani.