A scuffle broke out between the workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the All India Trinamool Congress when processions of both the parties came face to face at Alimuddin Street in central Kolkata on Tuesday. BJP’s procession was taken out by the party’s Minority Morcha in support of party candidate Ritesh Tiwari in the Chowringhee Assembly segment for the upcoming by- polls on September 13. The AITC procession was taken out in support of party candidate Nayna Bandyopadhyay from the same Assembly segment.
The lane was so narrow that it was not possible for the two groups to pass side by side. At first Mr. Tiwari tried to broker peace with the AITC workers and told them that the BJP rally will peacefully pass by them. But the situation flared up when some BJP workers in front of the procession tried to go ahead all together. Suddenly an AITC worker snatched the skull cap of one BJP supporter and then chased them away. Being outnumbered, the BJP workers scampered to safety. Torn BJP banners and posters were scattered in the narrow lane. Even as BJP workers were being chased by ATIC cadres, the police did not intervene.
Later Mr. Tiwari demanded an explanation from a police officer deployed at the spot as to how the rallies of two rival political parties were permitted to take place in the same lane. “I am sure that the AITC rally did not have any police permission,” Mr. Tiwari told the police officer. He also accused the police of being biased towards the ruling party in the State.
Mr. Tiwari alleged that the attack on his party workers was orchestrated by AITC MLA Iqbal Ahmed. Mr. Ahmed is the younger brother of senior AITC leader and party MP Sultan Ahmed, an influential minority leader. “We have lodged an FIR against Iqbal Ahmed and his supporters with the Taltala police station. More than 10 BJP workers were injured in the attack.” He alleged that the police was equally responsible for the attack.
Iqbal Ahmed, however, rubbished the allegation and accused BJP of assaulting AITC workers with the help of anti-socials.
The by-elections in Assembly segments Basirhat Dakshin in North 24 Parganas and Chowringhee will take place on September 13.
