Kolkata, Jun 15 (IANS): Hundreds of activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit of West Bengal, led by the party's Lok Sabha MP Locket Chatterjee, staged a sit-in demonstration protesting the hike in school fees in many private English medium schools.

The protest took place outside Vikash Bhawan in Kolkata's satellite township Salt Lake that houses the office of the West Bengal Education Department.

Armed with banners and placards, the BJP activists demanded the withdrawal of school fees for the last four months as all schools remained closed owing to the Covid-19 lockdown. They also submitted a deputation to the state education minister on the matter.

"Many private schools have increased fees during this lockdown. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already asked all school authorities not to increase fees but they have not paid any heed. The state education department is also sitting duck on the issue. It seems they have zero control over the private schools in the state," Chatterjee told mediapersons.

She said that many parents have already raised the issue in different schools but the authorities are not considering their demand.

"We want the state government to deal with the issue with a humane face. People are in dire crisis. Their income has gone down due to the Covid pandemic. How will they pay increased school fees especially when the school remained closed for the past four months," the BJP MP said, demanding immediate intervention of the CM and state education minister Partha Chatterjee into the matter.