A BJP leader’s 13-year-old nephew took a bullet in his leg when he stepped out of home during violence in Chopra on Saturday, a day after the North Dinajpur pocket erupted over alleged intimidation of voters in the second phase of polls.
The BJP blamed Trinamul supporters for attacks on the houses of two of its leaders. The ruling party has denied the charges.
Chopra comes under the Darjeeling parliamentary constituency. It is one of the Assembly segments that Trinamul is banking on for a lead to secure its first victory in the Darjeeling seat.
Tahit Alam’s nephew is under treatment at a local health centre. “I was studying. Suddenly, I heard some people shout and throw away furniture and utensils. As I came out, I saw some of them firing. Before I could move further, a bullet hit my left leg and I fell down,” the Class VII student said from his hospital bed on Friday evening. Doctors said the boy was stable but had been kept under observation.
Shahin Akhtar, working president of the BJP in North Dinajpur who hails from Chopra, alleged that Trinamul workers had raided the home of Tahit in the Makdumi area. “The attackers came on motorcycles and ransacked Tahit’s house. Tahit is a popular leader. Trinamul has lost its base in the area. That is why his house was attacked,” Akhtar said.
Another BJP functionary targeted was Bishnu Oraon, a local leader in Chopra’s Narayanpur village.
“Bishnu had worked as a polling agent in one of the booths on behalf of our candidate. Trinamul workers had tried to intimidate him so that he left the booth but Bishnu refused. After the elections, they attacked his house. Bombs were lobbed and the house torched,” Akhtar said.
On Thursday, Chopra had turned into a battlefield after a section of residents clashed with police, blocked a highway and demanded central forces in a booth while alleging that they had been intimidated by armed Trinamul workers.
Later in the day, police escorted some of the voters to the booth where they cast their ballots in the presence of central forces.
On Friday, the police rushed to Chopra and brought the situation under control. “We are conducting raids to nab the attackers. Our men are also patrolling in the area,” said a senior officer.
Trinamul leaders claimed the attacks were the fallout of feuds within the BJP.
“These incidents have happened because of the infighting among different lobbies of the BJP. These days, their supporters have been intimidating our people. We have no involvement in such attacks,” said Mohammad Mustaq, a block Trinamul leader in Chopra.
Repoll demand
The BJP and the CPM have demanded repolling in several booths in the Darjeeling and Raiganj constituencies, citing threats and violence during Thursday’s vote. Raju Bista, the BJP candidate in Darjeeling, has sought repolls in 40 booths, including 39 in Chopra. Apurba Pal, the North Dinajpur CPM secretary, has demanded repolling in 28 booths.
Additional reporting by Avijit Sinha in Siliguri