West Bengal: Fresh Clashes Break Out In Trouble-Hit Bhatpara; Many Injured

Several persons were injured as fresh clashes were reported in trouble-torn Bhatpara area in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal Saturday as rival groups violated Section 144 imposed there. Police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse the crowd.

North 24 Pargana: BJP activists agitate in front of the Barrackpore office Commissioner of Police, in North 24 Pargana, Friday, June 21, 2019. Two persons were killed and three others suffered severe injuries at Bhatpara area in North 24 Parganas in West Bengal as clashes broke out in two groups on Thursday. Photo: PTI

BHATPARA: Several persons were injured as fresh clashes were reported in trouble-torn Bhatpara area in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Saturday as rival groups violated Section 144 imposed there. Police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse the crowd. The incident happened moments after a three-member BJP central delegation left the area after their scheduled visit. As the delegation left, two groups, one led by the BJP and other by TMC, engaged in pitched battle as both sides hurled countrymade bombs and stones at each other. Several persons were injured in the incident. Bhatpara had witnessed clashes between rival groups suspected to be affiliated to TMC and BJP on Thursday in which two persons had died. Meanwhile, a three-member BJP delegation on Saturday visited Bhatpara, and demanded a probe into the killings even as it accused the state police of opening fire on innocent people. The three-member delegation, comprising BJP MPs S.S. Ahluwalia, Satya Pal Singh and Vishnu Dayal Ram, visited the house of the two deceased - Rambabu Shaw and Dharambir Shaw - in Bhatpara on Saturday afternoon and said the bereaved families would be given financial aid of Rs 10 lakh each. "When the clash between two groups took place, police baton charged one group and shot at the other. We want to know who took that decision? Who was behind this conspiracy? There should be a thorough probe into this. We will submit the report to (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah and apprise him of the on-ground situation here," Ahluwalia said. "Police opened fire on innocent, common people. They have shot everyone here. Police held a press conference and said they fired in the air. If it was true, then how did the people get shot? Were they flying in the air?" he questioned. The BJP MP from Asansol-Durgapur parliamentary constituency accused the state's ruling Trinamool Congress of indulging in constant violence even after the 2019 poll results have come out and urged its leaders to fight a "democratic battle" with the BJP instead of "murdering" common people. "I want to ask Trinamool Congress, how long will this violence continue? When there was violence during elections and people were killed we tolerated that. Now the poll result has come out. If you (Trinamool) have any complaint or grudge against Modiji or the central government, you should debate on that in Parliament. That is the biggest space for democratic discourse. But why are you killing these poor people? This is unfortunate," he added.