Stones hurled at BJP’s roadshow in Kolkata

TMC workers throw stones at rally; shout slogans against Suvendu Adhikari

Road show: Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Dilip Ghosh, (third from left) waves to the crowd during a rally with other leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari (on his left), in Kolkata on Monday.

The City of Joy witnessed some violence during a roadshow by the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday with Trinamool Congress workers reportedly throwing stones and shouting slogans.

Videos aired by local television channels and shared by other BJP leaders on social media showed a few youths with flags of Trinamool Congress throwing stones at the rally. The road show was organised from Tollygunje Tram depot to Rashbehari in southern parts of city. Several senior party leaders like State unit BJP president Dilip Ghosh, Suvendu Adhikari, Debashree Chowdhury, and Bharati Ghosh were among those who participated..

Supporters of the BJP chased those who raised slogans and pelted stones. The BJP supporters vandalised several vehicles and also beat up some people. There was a flare up at three places along the route including at Deshapran Sashmal Road.

Even before the rally began there was some tension with Trinamool supporters showing black flags and raising slogans “Go back Mir Zafar” directed at Suvendu Adhikari. Speaking after the road show Mr. Adhikari said that he was happy that BJP youth wing supporters went after those pelted stones. The former TMC heavyweight leader who joined the BJP last month said that TMC cannot forget old ways of attacking political opponents.

Mr. Ghosh accused a particular community of orchestrating the attack. “It is not that our supporters do not have hands,” Mr. Ghosh said and warned the ruling party that attacks will be met with retaliation. State’s Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Aroop Biswas rushed to the spot and said that TMC supporters were putting posters and flags and were attacked by BJP workers without any provocation. Mr. Biswas said many people suffered injuries in the attack.

Violence was also reported at Canning between two factions of Trinamool Congress. Monday was a day of hectic political rallies in South 24 Parganas with BJP leader Sovon Chatterjee and Baishakhi Banerjee holding a rally in the district. Mr. Chatterjee who was Mayor of Kolkata was also observer to South 24 Parganas when he was with the TMC. At the same time, Trinamool Congress also held a counter rally in the district.

Last month stones were hurled at the convoy of the BJP national president J.P. Nadda’s convoy during his visit to Diamond Harbour.