Violence erupted once again in Shyamnagar and Jagdatdal areas of Barrackpore subdivision of West Bengal on Sunday with BJP’s Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh sustaining head injuries in the clashes.
Trouble started in the area in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas when certain party offices of the BJP were occupied by cadre of the Trinamool Congress. When the MP, who quit the Trinamool Congress earlier this year ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, was heading towards the party offices, his vehicle was attacked. BJP supporters then put up road blocks at various places in protest.
Pitched battle
As the police tried to disperse protesting crowd, a pitched battle ensued, leaving Mr. Singh and few other local people were injured. Mr Singh was rushed to a State-run hospital where he was give first aid. He was later admitted to a private health facility.
Senior police officers including Barrackpore City Police Commissioner Manoj Verma were on the spot trying to control the situation.
Mr Singh was earlier with the Trinamool Congress and a four-term MLA before switching over to the BJP just before the Lok Sabha polls.
“Working like puppets of Barrackpore police and Mr. Ajay Thakur - DC, Zone-I,Barrackpore Police Commissionerate did lathi charge, I have been severely injured in the same and MLA of Bhatpara, Pawan Singh has been injured as well. TMC is murdering democracy in Bengal,” the BJP MP said on social media. He also alleged that his house was under attack.
He alleged that he was injured in a police lathi charge at the directions of the City Police Commissioner. Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy, who met the injured MP in hospital, said there was a conspiracy by the Mamata Banerjee administration to kill Mr Singh.
However, the Barrackpore City Police in a statement said the MP was injured by a brick thrown by his supporters .
“Several policemen including the Commissioner are injured in the attack by hooligans. A pistol has been snatched and a bomb was thrown at police from the roof of the house of Arjun Singh,” Barrackpore city police said.
Trinamool Congress leader and Bengal Food Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said it was the BJP MP who attacked the police.
Tensions have been running high in the Shyamnagar, Jagdatdal and Bhatpara area since the Lok Sabha polls and several people have been killed in the sporadic political violence in the area.
