A clash broke out between two groups of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) during Saraswati Puja celebrations at the Dinhata College in Cooch Behar on Friday.
While the puja proceedings proceeded peacefully in the morning, the situation escalated later in the day, leading to chaos inside the campus.
A source said the conflict broke out over a disagreement regarding the type of music to be played on the sound system brought for the puja. What began as a verbal altercation soon turned into a physical scuffle, sparking panic among students, visitors and residents who had.
Students and visitors were seen running towards the college gates in fear.
A team from the Dinhata police station reached the spot shortly and normalcy was restored soon.
“There was a minor commotion, but the situation was brought under control quickly,” said Dhiman Mitra, the subdivisional police officer of Dinhata.
Some students of the college, who didn’t want to be named, confirmed that the heated argument arose over the song selection and eventually led to violence.
The police have detained some persons in connection with the incident. Investigations are underway.
“It was unfortunate that violence broke out in the college during the puja. However, prompt police action prevented the situation from taking a serious turn,” said a Dinhata resident.