Kolkata, June 20 -- Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar and an NRI Dr Rajat Shuvra Banerjee were picked by the city police from a street in Bhawanipur on Friday and taken to the Lal Bazar police headquarters separately in prison vans. Later the NRI medic was released, official sources said.

Majumdar, who is also the BJP's West Bengal unit president, was forced inside the police van this afternoon and taken to the Kolkata Police headquarters.

Sources said Majumdar, who led a party procession in Bhawanipur to mark Pashimbanga Diwas and paid floral tribute at the statue of Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, was picked up by police while he was proceeding to meet UK-based NRI physician Rajat Subhra Banerjee, who had reportedly stood up and protested when C...