But the marchers were condoned off at a distance by the police who arrested several leaders including Thakerr.

Earlier, several BJP leaders and BJYM workers assembled at Esplanade near Mero station and held a meeting, condemning the dishonourable actions of the CPM and other Left parties for removing Mangal Pandey's statue, located in front of Writers Buildings.

They also criticised the government for not celebrating the 150th anniversary of the sepoy munity which broke out first at Barrackpore.

The leaders alleged that while the CPM did not care to honour the sacrifice and the bravery of great Indian heroes of the past, they would be remembering and honouring the so-called heroic deeds of Mao Tse Tung and Che Guevera and other communist leaders of the world.

Accompanied by the state BJP president Sukumar Banerjee and secretary Rahul Sinha, the workers later led the protest march towards Writers Buildings for submitting a memorandum to the Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. But they were not allowed.

The memorandum included the demand for immediate installation of the statue and a memorial in the `maidan' area and at Barrackpore Lalbagan where the hero of the sepoy munity had been hanged to death.