Kolkata, Feb 7 (IANS): A host of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including its national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and national executive member Mukul Roy, were detained on Friday while trying to take out a pro-Citizenship (Amendment) Act rally in south Kolkata.

Earlier, there was turmoil at Tollygunge Phari, the starting point of the rally, as BJP workers scuffled with the police who prevented them from taking out the 'abhinandan yatra', which was slated to end at Hazra Crossing.

As a large number of police personnel, who had put up several barricades, stopped the rallyists, Vijayvargiya and Roy were seen arguing with the lawkeepers.

"We were taking out a peaceful rally. In Bengal, you can take out a rally against the CAA, but not in support of it. This is the state of democracy in this state which has Mamata Banerjee as Chief Minister," Vijayvargiya told mediapersons.

Amid shouts of 'Bharat Mata ki jai', Vijayvargiya, Roy, state BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu, vice president Jai Prakash Majumdar and party leader Agnimitra Pal were put in a prison van and taken to the city police headquarters at Lalbazar in central Kolkata.

City police Deputy Commissioner (south division) Meeraj Khalid said the BJP leaders have been detained as they tried to take out a rally without police permission.

The BJP claimed 450 of its supporters were detained.