Bomb finger at TMC student union

A crowd outside the Birbhum college as smoke from a bomb rises in the background. Picture by Snehamoy Chakraborty

Mallarpur, Jan. 22: Suspected Trinamul Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) activists today hurled bombs and assaulted SFI candidates to prevent them from filing nominations for polls in a Birbhum college.

None of the SFI candidates could file nominations for the January 28 elections in Mallarpur Turku Hansda Lapsa Hembram College in Mayureswar, as a result of which the TMCP won all seats uncontested. The Chhatra Parishad had not put up any candidates.

From 10.30am today, TMCP supporters armed with sticks, rods and crude bombs patrolled the six approach roads to the college. Whenever they spotted SFI candidates or supporters, they allegedly hurled bombs, beat them up and chased them away.

After the time of filing nominations ended, the suspected TMCP activists hurled bombs to “celebrate victory”.

Parimal Mondal, a district general secretary of the TMCP, said: “Our supporters were not involved in the incident.”

Till today’s election, the SFI had controlled the college union.

Baton-wielding policemen had initially tried to bring the situation under control by chasing the TMCP activists. But when the activists started hurling bombs, the 100-odd policemen ran into the college.

The SFI has lodged an FIR and demanded that the union be allowed to file nominations on another day.

“We failed to submit our nomination papers because of terror unleashed by the TMCP. Five party workers, including a local CPM leader, were beaten up,” said Reek Chakraborty, the Birbhum SFI president.