Kolkata, Nov 30 (IANS) At least 13 persons were injured and shops, houses and vehicles were damaged in clashes between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP in several parts of West Bengal, the police said on Saturday.
A number of incidents of violence were reported from West Midnapore district.
Ten persons were injured in a BJP-Trinamool clash in Keshpur on Fridsay night. The Trinamool and the BJP claimed those assaulted were their workers, and blamed each other for the clashes.
Three persons, including a Trinamool leader, were hospitalised after they were beaten up by BJP activists during two separate clashes at Chandrakona.
The Trinamool local leadership accused the BJP of resorting to violence after losing the Khragpur bypolls two days back.
The BJP denied the charge and in turn accused the Trinamool of putting its office under lock in Belda. But the Trinamool refuted the charge.
Clashes were also witnessed in Mohanpur over a party office. The Trinamool claimed that their workers had reclaimed the office which was forcibly captured by the BJP after its state President Dilip Ghosh won the Lok Sabha polls from the Midnapore constituency.
According to Trinamool leaders, after they reclaimed the office on Friday, the BJP workers vandalised it in the dead of the night. The Trinamool has lodged a police complaint.
The BJP leaders, on the other hand, claimed that common people vandalised the office in protest against Trinamool-backed hoodlums carrying out anti-social activities in the area.
A BJP office was burnt down in East Midnapore district’s Ramnagar. The BJP blamed the Trinamool, which denied the allegation.
In Sonamukhi in Bankura district, Trinamool workers allegedly beat up five BJP workers. On the contrary, the Trinamool claimed that their workers were assaulted.
In Khardah in North 24 Parganas district, there were allegations that Trinamool workers, who had taken out a victory procession after sweeping the bypolls, attacked a BJP office and beat up a cadre of the saffron outfit.
There was tension in Boardghar area under Ghola police station of the same district after a mob, said to be comprising Trinamool workers, stoned shops and damaged motor cycles, besides surrounding the car of a local BJP leader, Kishore Kar.
Kar had gone to the spot to receive state party chief Dilip Ghosh, who was scheduled to visit the house of a party supporter, which was allegedly ransacked by Trinamool workers.
Learning of Ghosh’s likely visit, the Trinamool workers had gathered in strength with black flags to stage a demonstration against him. Ghosh, however, did not turn up.
As police rushed in to diffuse the tension, Trinamool workers were seen jostling with the lawkeepers. The police finally brought the situation under control by chasing the ruling party activists with sticks.
In Hooghly district’s Haripal, Trinamool workers allegedly hurled bombs and bricks and gave life threats to BJP supporters over phone. The ruling party claimed the incidents were the fallout of factional feuds within the BJP.
In Bali in Howrah district, BJP workers allegedly attacked the house of a local Trinamool leader. The BJP, on the other hand, alleged that Trinamool workers thrashed their party workers.
There was tension over the BJP’s plans to take out a rally in Ghughumari in north Bengal’s Cooch Behar district.
Prior to that, when the leaders were deliberating in the party office, alleged Trinamool workers three a bomb and fled. Angry BJP workers rushed onto the streets and started a protest demonstration.
The police, however, brought the situation under control.
Trinamool has denied its involvement in the bombing.
–IANS
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