TMC-BJP Supporters Clash In Bengal's Cooch Behar, Police Lathicharge To Disperse Protesters

Both TMC and BJP have filed complaints, blaming each other of violence. One BJP Mondal president has also been arrested in connection with the Cooch Behar clash on Thursday.

A clash broke out between the TMC and BJP workers in front of BJP's party office in Cooch Behar, Bengal.

Source : PTI

A clash erupted between the Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party workers in front of BJP's party office in Cooch Behar, West Bengal on Thursday. The incident sparked tensions after people from both the sides reportedly sustained injuries. They have also filed complaints blaming each other of violence.

As the scuffle continued, a large police force arrived at the spot to bring the situation under control and even resorted to lathicharge. The Trinamool Chhatra Parishad members who were blocking the road have been removed by the police. One BJP Mandal president has also been arrested in the matter, ABP Ananda reported.

The situation became heated when the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad bus, on its way back from the procession, reached the BJP party office. They had held a rally on the Rashmela Ground to protest against the hiked medicine prices and the alleged misbehaviour by some during CM Mamata Banerjee's London visit, The Telegraph reported.

They were returning in buses when a clash broke out on Byangchatra Road outside BJP's office. According to reports, TMC has alleged that BJP supporters attacked TMC activists with bricks, sticks, and wooden planks. TMCP leader Sayandip Goswami even claimed the attackers were carrying firearms and even vanadalised a bus.

The BJP workers had gathered at the party office to protest against the irregularities in the appointments of teachers at government schools, but they had to call off the programme due to the clash with TMC, BJP MLA of Tufanganj, Malati Rava Roy said. 

The MLA claimed that TMC supporters attacked BJP workers and vandalised their parked vehicles outside the office to hinder their protest. Roy also said that the police did not take action against the attackers.

Nearly 26,000 qualified teachers and education workers have lost their jobs since the cancellation of the entire panel of the School Service Commission of 2016 on the orders of the Supreme Court.

BJP MP Urges CM Mamata To Resolve Job Crisis

In an exclusive interview with ABP Ananda, former Calcutta High Court judge and current BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay claimed that it is still possible to separate who are the eligible candidates and who are the ineligible ones, for which he requested the Bengal CM to form a committee in order to resolve the job crisis.

Addressing the Chief Minister as 'Didi' and requesting the formation of a committee, Abhijit Gangopadhyay said: "Mamata Banerjee, today I will address her as 'Didi', as I am asking her to rise above politics. Didi should form a committee right now and I am asking her why. These 26,000 people, boys, have to be rescued from the disaster."

"I still think that we can prepare the list. For some reason, the list was not prepared. I will not go into that politics either. By preparing this list, we can file a review petition in the Supreme Court again, saying, "Sir, forgive them. They are not at fault. They are not at fault. We are giving the list of those who have committed a crime, we will drop them, those who have not committed a crime should keep their jobs." That is all I will say and I am putting this request to Didi through your channel," he added.