Protests broke out in the Kakdwip area of West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Wednesday after an idol of the deity Kali was found damaged in a temple in Suryanagar village.

Residents refused to immerse the idol as part of Kali Puja festivities and instead blocked the national highway in protest, leading to traffic disruption, said the West Bengal Police in a post on social media.

The blockade lasted for hours “and ambulances carrying patients were stuck”, the police added.

“When the agitators did not relent and started pelting stones at the police, minimum force was resorted to by the police to disperse the mob,” it further said, adding that efforts are being made to identify those who damaged the idol.

The idol was immersed later in the day.

Following this, the Bharatiya

See Full Page