The arrests led to a sit-in protest by BJP supporters outside the local police station on Saturday.

Speaking at the protest, Saha said the police did not provide a clear explanation for the detentions. The protest, which was peaceful, demanded a valid reason for the arrests. It was temporarily paused after police requested time to investigate.

“When our candidate in Sainthia, Krishnakant Saha, finished campaigning in Ward No. 14, the police arrested three of our workers without explanation. We staged a sit-in, demanding to know the reason for the arrests. The Inspector-in-Charge (IC) didn’t show, but the Circle Inspector (CI) eventually arrived. He showed us evidence on his phone that didn’t match the situation or the voices involved. The police claimed they needed an hour to investigate and would release them if innocent, so we have temporarily paused our protest to see their next move,” Saha said.

He further accused Mamata Banerjee of using the police to hinder BJP activities in West Bengal, stating, “This is Didi’s police game in Bengal, arresting BJP workers to prevent voting. Our workers are not criminals; they are social workers, and we will not be intimidated.”

Saha added that the BJP plans to file complaints with the Election Commission of India and the police observer on Monday to draw attention to alleged failures by officials under the Commission’s oversight.

The comments come ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with vote counting set for May 4. The 294-seat legislative assembly election is expected to be primarily contested between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.