NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress and BJP workers clashed in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district’s Hotuganj area on Saturday.
Reports said a Trinamool office has been vandalised and motorcycles have been set on fire. A large police force and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed in the area to maintain peace, officials said.
The violence comes on a day when BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee are holding rallies in each other’s bastion in the state, in the run up to the panchayat elections that are scheduled for early next year.
Adhikari, who is the BJP’s Leader of Opposition in the state, is holding a rally at Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas. Meanwhile, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is the party’s national general secretary, is holding a rally in Contai, which comes under Purba Medinipur district.
According to media reports, Trinamool workers had put up barriers along the road leading to the BJP’s rally site in order to protest against Centre’s policies. When BJP workers tried to get past the barriers to reach their rally site at Diamond Harbour, a clash broke out.
Only bomb-making industry flourishing: BJP taunts TMC
The violence follows a blast on Friday that claimed the lives of at least three people at the residence of TMC booth president Rajkumar Manna‘s home in Purba Medinipur.
The BJP has alleged that Manna was making a bomb at his home when the explosion occurred. BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh held the TMC responsible for the incident and said that “only bomb-making industry is flourishing in the state”.
The incident took place in Block 2 of Arjunnagar in Bhupatinagar area, 1.5 km from Contai town where Banerjee is holding his public rally.
Senior CPI (M) leader Sujan Chakraborty questioned why Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was silent on such incidents and demanded a statement from her.
TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said it is very easy for the opposition to blame the ruling party in West Bengal without any evidence.
(With inputs from agencies)
Reports said a Trinamool office has been vandalised and motorcycles have been set on fire. A large police force and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed in the area to maintain peace, officials said.
The violence comes on a day when BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee are holding rallies in each other’s bastion in the state, in the run up to the panchayat elections that are scheduled for early next year.
Adhikari, who is the BJP’s Leader of Opposition in the state, is holding a rally at Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas. Meanwhile, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is the party’s national general secretary, is holding a rally in Contai, which comes under Purba Medinipur district.
According to media reports, Trinamool workers had put up barriers along the road leading to the BJP’s rally site in order to protest against Centre’s policies. When BJP workers tried to get past the barriers to reach their rally site at Diamond Harbour, a clash broke out.
Only bomb-making industry flourishing: BJP taunts TMC
The violence follows a blast on Friday that claimed the lives of at least three people at the residence of TMC booth president Rajkumar Manna‘s home in Purba Medinipur.
The BJP has alleged that Manna was making a bomb at his home when the explosion occurred. BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh held the TMC responsible for the incident and said that “only bomb-making industry is flourishing in the state”.
The incident took place in Block 2 of Arjunnagar in Bhupatinagar area, 1.5 km from Contai town where Banerjee is holding his public rally.
Senior CPI (M) leader Sujan Chakraborty questioned why Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was silent on such incidents and demanded a statement from her.
TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said it is very easy for the opposition to blame the ruling party in West Bengal without any evidence.
(With inputs from agencies)