BJP, TMC workers clash in Birbhum, bombs hurled

Crude bombs were hurled and stones thrown at passing vehicles when ruling Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party members clashed on way to a rally by the saffron party's state unit president Dilip Ghosh in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Wednesday.

Police said the clash broke out when BJP activists travelling in a mini truck to the rally at Suri had an altercation with the local TMC workers while passing through Simurali in the district.

As the vehicle's windscreen was broken in the brick batting, the BJP men alighted from the vehicle and a clash ensued in which crude bombs were freely hurled.

Many other vehicles, including two wheelers, which were passing through the area were damaged by the warring groups.

A police team from Bolpur rushed to the spot and burst tear gas shells to quell the mob and cleared the highway.

The clash, however, spilled to nearby village roads and the police intervened to bring the situation under control.

BJP supporters have alleged that two of their supporters were injured in the firing by TMC activists during the clash but this was not confirmed by police.

Ghosh later told reporters after a road show and the public meeting at Suri that the TMC tried to stop BJP members from attending his meeting and resorted to violent means to terrorise them. "But they will not succeed".

"Two of our supporters have been wounded in firing by TMC goons. But they cannot stop BJP this way. We will come to power (in the state polls) and ensure that the perpetrators and conspirators behind such attacks are punished," he said.

"We are taking note of every such attack, every single false case slapped against BJP workers. We will return the compliments after May, after dislodging this corrupt, undemocratic and tyrannical government in the state," Ghosh said.

The state polls are due in April-May in 2021.

Countering BJP's allegations, district TMC leader Abhijit Sinha said, "TWe are not behind any attack on BJP rallyists. TMC believes in democracy."

He alleged that BJP is fomenting trouble in the area by bringing in miscreants from outside and attacking local TMC workers.

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