As north Bengal shut down for a strike called by farmers’ groups and the BJP today, several persons were injured in a clash between BJP and Trinamul Congress activists in Siliguri.
The Yuva Morcha of the BJP organised a road blockade at Mahatma Gandhi More here from 11.45 am, in protest against the death of a purported BJP supporter in a clash with the police in Siliguri yesterday.
As the protesters blocked the road, they also pulled down hoardings and banners of the state government and Mamata Banerjee, including those related to ‘Duare Sarkar,’ the state government’s newest campaign to take services to people’s doorsteps. They also burnt tyres on the roads and torched the hoardings in the presence of the police.
Tension filled the area, while TMC Darjeeling district president Ranjan Sarkar visited the area and said the TMC will give the BJP a befitting reply to all this “politically and in a democratic way.” Mr Sarkar also wondered why the police were not taking action.
He further said that the party had filed a police complaint over the incident.
In private, a section of Trinamul Congress leaders, also expressed discontent over the alleged police inaction when BJP activists were damaging the posters, banners and hoardings.
As TMC activists reached the spot and started clearing the road, a bus of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation and bound for Alipurduar came in through the Mahananda bridge No 2 and headed for Burdwan Road.
BJP protesters stopped the bus and a clash ensued between TMC and BJP activists. It is alleged that BJP activists first attacked TMC members who outnumbered the saffron men.
“Police arrested 13 BJP activists, including Yuba Morcha president Kanchan Debnath,” sources said.
The TMC organised a protest march right there and it headed to Hasmi Chowk, where they pulled down and tore BJP flags at the party office at Joymoni Bhawan.
The president of the TMC’s Siliguri town No1, Sanjay Pathak, said the death of a ‘protster’ yesterday was sand and unfortunate, but he slammed the “BJP violence” during yesterday’s Uttarkanya march and today.
Sources and observers, on the other hand, said that Siliguri had never seen such violence on a general strike earlier. “This political heat and violence in Siliguri during a strike is unprecedented,” an observer said.
“Siliguri’s culture is not like this. We have not seen anything like this in the recent past,” he said.
Meanwhile, state tourism minister Gautam Deb said they would not give ‘Rosogollas’ to those who act in such a way.
“We have patience and believe in democratic values, but that does not mean we are cowards,” Mr Deb said.