War of words between TMC and BJP over clashes between two groups in Kolkata

A war of words broke out between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP on Monday over clashes between two groups in the Khidderpore-Mominpur area of Kolkata that left several people injured.

The saffron camp claimed that law and order have worsened in West Bengal, drawing a sharp retort from the ruling TMC which accused the BJP of trying to vitiate the atmosphere of the state.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, who tried to visit the area, was stopped and arrested on Monday.

Police said that clashes broke out between two groups in the Khidderpore-Mominpur area on Sunday evening over some local issues, in which several people were injured. The agitators also staged a protest outside the Ekbalpur police station.

Personnel of the police including those of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed in the area.

"I have written to Hon'ble Union Home Minister Shri@AmitShah Ji & Hon'ble Governor Shri La Ganesan Ji requesting them to urgently deploy Central Forces in the wake of Mominpur violence & ransacking of Ekbalpur Police Station before the Law & Order situation of WB gets out of hand," Leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari tweeted.

Majumdar, who wanted to visit the area, was stopped at the Chingrighata area in north Kolkata and was asked to go back as Prohibitory Orders under Section 144 of the CrPC had been imposed in the area.

"Sukanta Majumdar was later arrested and taken to Lalbazar police headquarters," a senior police official said

Hitting out at the saffron camp for allegedly trying to vitiate the atmosphere of the state, senior TMC leader Sougata Roy said the police had taken all the steps needed to bring the situation under control.

"The miscreants have been arrested. What will Sukanta Majumdar do by going there apart from giving hate speeches? The BJP is trying to vitiate the atmosphere of the state. The BJP should stop politicising every incident," Roy said.