The area around the district collectorate in Balurghat town of South Dinajpur turned into a battlefield on Saturday as hundreds of BJP supporters tried to breach barricades and attacked the police during a protest.

The police retaliated and used batons to disperse the agitators. Some BJP protesters and cops suffered injuries.

On Saturday morning, BJP supporters led by Sukanta Majumdar, the state BJP chief and Balurghat MP, and party MLAs Satyendranath Roy and Budhrai Tudu, took out a march from Mangalpur area of the town to protest against the recent police lathicharge on teachers in Calcutta and the violent anti-waqf law in Murshidabad.

As the rally reached the district collectorate, BJP supporters had to stop in front of police barricades. Intensifying their sloganeering, they tried to breach the barricades. As they breached a barricade, the police resorted to lathicharge and some BJP supporters resorted to brickbatting.

After some time, the police managed to bring the situation under control.

District BJP chief Swarup Choudhury said at least four leaders and supporters of their party were injured in the lathicharge.

They were taken to the district hospital. Later, Majumdar met them. “A section of policemen started beating our supporters without provocation,” he said, claiming their movement was peaceful.

Majumdar alleged the police hit some people on the heads. If it is found that the injuries are serious, we will file a complaint against the police,” he added.

Police officers said Sumanta Biswas, the inspector-in-charge of Balurghat police station, and two other cops got injured in the brickbatting. "The police were attacked first. We will register cases against those involved in the attack,” said Chinmoy Mittal, the South Dinajpur SP.