JOIN US
In Raina village of Burdwan district, Trinamool Congress activists fought a pitched battle with the police to free one of their leaders from the cops’ custody while Maoist ultras shot dead a CPM supporter in Belpahari in West Midnapore district.
At Bagdah in Nadia district, Trinamool and CPM supportes clashed for several hours, leaving one TMC supporter dead. At Lalgarh in West Midanapore district, tribals fighting under the banner of the People’s Committee clashed with CPM supporters with fire arms.
According to superintendent of police (East Midnapore) Pallab Ghosh, the Khejuri incident took place after police arrested 14 Trinamool Congress supporters, on charges of torching the CPM offices at Janka and Kamarda recently. The mob clashed with the police when they were being taken to the Contai Sub-divisional Court.
The Trinamool Congress supporters were protesting against the police inaction after recovery of largescale arms from CPM supporters’ residences in Khejuri. “There was no report of any casualty due to the incident. This is the second time a CPM office was set afire,” Ghosh added.
Police were facing a tough time as the Trinamool Congress men resorted to a social boycott movement against the cops by not allowing them to purchase food items from any shop within the Khejuri police station limits.
State additional home secretary Ardhendu Sen said the law and order situation in the troubled areas was under control as additional reinforcements have been dispatched. As for the social boycott, he regretted that a political party could resort to this.
“I believe the Maoists alone can take recourse to this, not a political party,”he added.
Mamata slams WB govt
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the West Bengal government was unleashing violence on Trinamool Congress to divert attention from its ‘failure’ to provide relief and rehabilitation the victims of Cyclone Aila.
“Bengal is burning,” the Trinamool chief said, charging Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee with being ‘a vindictive person’, who was asking ‘the police to catch Trinamool Congress supporters’.