Clashes broke out between supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in central Kolkata on Saturday, barely half an hour before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally at the Brigade Parade Ground, leaving a police officer and a BJP leader injured, officials said.
The violence occurred in the Girish Park–Bowbazar area, about 5 km from the rally venue, as BJP supporters were marching towards the Brigade Parade Ground to attend the prime minister’s meeting marking the culmination of the party’s statewide ‘Parivartan Yatra’ ahead of the Assembly elections.
According to eyewitnesses, supporters of both parties allegedly hurled stones at each other and raised slogans, triggering tension in the busy locality.
The officer-in-charge of Bowbazar police station, Bappaditya Naskar, sustained injuries while attempting to control the situation, police sources said.
The BJP also claimed that its north Kolkata district president Tamaghno Ghosh and several party workers were injured during the clashes. Ghosh was later taken to a hospital for treatment, party leaders said.
BJP leaders alleged that their supporters were attacked without provocation while heading towards the rally venue.
“Stones were thrown at us without any provocation. Abuses were also hurled at us,” a BJP activist told a Bengali news channel.
The party further claimed that several vehicles, including buses carrying supporters to the rally, were damaged in the clashes.
However, TMC workers rejected the allegations and claimed that BJP supporters first attacked the residence of West Bengal minister Shashi Panja while passing through the Girish Park area on their way to the Brigade rally.
Panja alleged that BJP supporters targeted her residence and damaged window panes.
“BJP goons carried out the attack. Buses heading to the Brigade rally were carrying bricks, glass bottles and bombs. They attacked my house on Girish Park main road,” the minister alleged.
She claimed that the trouble began after saffron party supporters tore down posters reading “Boycott BJP” put up in the locality.
According to Panja, when TMC workers attempted to put up the posters again, BJP supporters got down from buses and allegedly assaulted them, following which stones were thrown towards her house and window panes were damaged.
Rejecting the allegations, BJP leaders claimed that TMC activists pelted stones at their rallyists and buses when they were passing through the area.
Some BJP leaders also alleged that the police initially remained “inactive” as the situation escalated.
Police later rushed a large contingent to the spot and brought the situation under control by dispersing the clashing groups. As tension mounted in the area, many shopkeepers hurriedly downed their shutters.
The clashes occurred shortly before Modi’s rally at the Brigade Parade Ground, where the prime minister is scheduled to address a massive gathering and unveil development projects worth around Rs 18,680 crore.
The rally marks the culmination of the BJP’s month-long ‘Parivartan Yatra’, launched across West Bengal to mobilise support and intensify the party’s campaign against the ruling TMC ahead of the Assembly elections.
Political observers said the clashes reflect the intense political polarisation in the state as both parties seek to consolidate their support base before the polls.
With inputs from PTI