Tension sparked at Babupara in Dinhata, Cooch Behar, on Friday night when police arrested Cooch Behar district BJP general secretary Ajay Roy.

The police said they had received a complaint that Roy was preparing a victory rally without administrative permission to celebrate the NDA’s win in the Bihar Assembly polls. The police said they acted after residents complained that an unauthorised rally could trigger unrest.

A brief scuffle broke among the cops and Roy, his family and supporters, as they tried to prevent the arrest.

Roy was booked for obstructing police duty.

BJP leaders denied any plans of a rally. They claimed Roy was only celebrating the NDA victory outside his home.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari accused the state government of political vendetta. District BJP president Abhijit Barman alleged north Bengal development minister and Dinhata MLA Udayan Guha was behind Roy’s arrest.

Guha dismissed the charge. “The law will take its own course,” he said.

On Saturday, Roy was taken for a medical check-up and then produced in court, which rejected his bail plea. He was put in judicial custody till November 19.

On his way to court, Roy said he had been “unjustly arrested” and that the BJP “cannot be suppressed”.

BJP leaders later met senior police officers to protest the arrest. Dinhata police officers maintained that the arrest was needed as specific complaints of an unauthorised rally were received.