Kolkata, April 18: Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Biman Bose was on Saturday detained by the police in Kolkata for a leading protest amid the ongoing lockdown. The 79-year-old was heading a demonstration called by the Left Front to protest against the lack of COVID-19 testing in the state. The protesters also accused the West Bengal government of irregularities in ration distribution. COVID-19 Live Tracker: Map The Spread of Coronavirus in All States of India.

Bose, who heads the Left Front - an amalgamation of all major communist parties in the state - pinned the blame on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the alleged improper distribution of ration. The CPI(M) veteran claimed that several poor households, who are the rightful beneficiaries, have been deprived of the free ration.

Watch Video: Biman Bose Detained by Police

The Left Front has also accused the Trinamool Congress government of carrying out "minimum tests" so far to keep the coronavirus numbers concealed. The state has so far reported 178 active cases and 12 deaths, whereas, seven others have been discharged.

Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also accused the West Bengal government of resorting to negligence by not conducting COVID-19 tests at a rapid pace across the state. Banerjee has, however, refuted the charges, claiming that her government's response to the coronavirus crisis has been pro-active so far.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2020 05:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).