BJP protests by swimming in waterlogged Salt Lake streets
The Statesman | 26 July 2025
Members of the BJP’s youth wing staged an unusual protest on Friday by swimming through waterlogged streets in Salt Lake, a planned township near Kolkata, to protest against civic failures following overnight rains.
Led by local BJP Yuva Morcha leader Sanjay Poddar, activists abandoned placards in favour of breaststrokes, navigating knee-deep water in the EC and FD blocks, some of the worst-affected areas. Dressed in saffron and chanting slogans, the protest drew attention from residents, many of whom filmed the demonstration from balconies. “This is not waterlogging, this is state-sponsored flooding,” Poddar said, mocking the ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC) and the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC). “You no longer need a club membership, every lane is now a free swimming pool,” he added.
Residents expressed frustration over recurring flooding in the township. “Every year, we complain, every year the civic body promises improvements. But after a few hours of rain, it’s the same story,” said Arpita Ghosh, a retired schoolteacher from EC Block. The protest unfolded just a few hundred metres from the BMC office. Police arrived at the scene and asked the demonstrators to disperse, citing safety concerns. The civic body has not issued a statement in response. The BJP is expected to meet the municipal commissioner next week to formally raise the issue.