Clashes erupted between workers of the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday with both sides resorting to stone-throwing.
The Trinamool and BJP cadres came to blows at a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) rally to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Several persons were injured. However, the Trinamool leadership denied the allegation.
Around 9 a.m, the two sides got involved in a brawl at Pathuriaghata in North Kolkata. The BJP leadership alleged that the Trinamool had launched a planned attack on their workers staying at a lodge in the area to participate in the rally.
Within hours, the violence spread to Central Avenue in central Kolkata near the BJP’s State Headquarters. Cadres of both parties were seen attacking each other with bricks and sticks and several vehicles were also vandalised.
BJP State president Dilip Ghosh alleged that not only did Trinamool cadres “ran amuck” in the area but they also threw stones at the BJP office injuring several party workers. During the incident, the vehicle of the Special Officer appointed by the Calcutta High Court, Rabindranath Dey was also damaged. A senior police officer was also injured during the clash. No one has been arrested so far, the police said.
“The TMC goons pelted stones at our party office and seven BJP workers got injured in the attack,” said Mr. Ghosh. He further alleged that law and order had “completely collapsed” under the TMC government. “We are putting the rally on hold for now and are monitoring situation,” said Mr. Ghosh.
The State BJP leadership also claimed that in protest against the TMC’s attack on BJP workers, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had “boycotted” the TMC Government’s Bengal Global Business Summit.
“We have informed the Centre about the brutal attacks by TMC on our workers and told them there is no need to cooperate with this State government. I think in the wake of our report, Mr. Gadkari has boycotted the State government’s business summit,” said Mr. Ghosh.
Denying the charges, Minister Sashi Panja said it was the BJP cadres who assaulted the Trinamool workers.
BJP had earlier approached the Calcutta High Court following the State government’s refusal to grant permission for the BJYM rally .The Calcutta High Court had appointed two special officers who would be present at the rally. The 1600 km motorcycle rally was to be held from Contai in Purba Medinipur district to Coochbehar district.
