Fresh clashes erupt again in Bengal's Bhatpara as BJP delegation visits town

Kolkata: A three-member BJP delegation visited trouble-hit Bhatpara area in West Bengal on Saturday and alleged that it was due to police firing that two persons lost their lives during the clashes earlier in the week.

But, no sooner the team returned from the place, fresh clashes broke out between workers of BJP and TMC during which crude country-made bombs and stones were hurled by them at each other, leaving several persons injured.

Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the warring groups in the Bhatpara area of North 24 Parganas district, where prohibitory order under Section 144 is in force.

A huge police contingent led by Barrackpore Police Commissioner Manoj Verma conducted route march as part of the area domination exercise.

"The situation is completely under control. We are keeping a close watch on the situation," Verma said.

Bhatpara had witnessed clashes between groups suspected to be affiliated to the TMC and BJP on Thursday in which two persons were killed and 11 others injured.

Considering the gravity of the situation, section 144 of CrPC was enforced in the area, which has witnessed frequent fight between the rival parties since the election time.

The BJP team led by former Union minister and Bardhaman-Durgapur MP S S Ahluwalia interacted with the families of the deceased.

BJP MPs Satya Pal Singh and B D Ram, from Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, respectively, were part of the BJP central team to the troubled spot. Barrackpor MP Arjun Singh and other state leaders accompanied them.

The delegation will submit its report to BJP president and Union Home minister Amit Shah.

"We spoke to the family members and locals. We got portions of spent self loading rifle (SLR) bullets used by the police on Thursday to shoot the BJP workers," Alhuwalia alleged.

"The police is saying they fired in the air. If they had done that, how can it hit humans?" he said.

"We will submit our detailed report to party president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He is concerned with the ongoing violence in the area," he said.

The police and the ruling Trinamool Congress, however, called the observation "baseless".

TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee alleged the BJP delegation to the area was aimed at increasing tension.

"What is the purpose of their visit? Section 144 has been in force in the area, but the BJP is visiting there. The police should have taken action against them for violating Section 144," he said.

A senior police officer said the BJP leadership had taken prior permission for the visit.

The Bhatpara violence is turning out to be the latest political flashpoint in West Bengal, which saw a fierce contest between BJP and TMC in the recently-concluded general election.

The BJP ushered a major surprise, winning 18 Lok Sabha seats out of a total of 42 in Bengal, only four less than TMC's tally of 22.

Buoyed by its stupendous victory, the saffron party has claimed that they would end the TMC rule in the next assembly poll in 2021.

Earlier in the day, a joint delegation of the CPI(M) and the Congress led by Leader of Opposition in assembly Abdul Mannan and Left leader Sujan Chakraborty visited the troubled areas of Baruipara, Jagaddal and Bhatpara. They demanded a CBI inquiry into the killing of two persons.

The BJP leadership has also demanded a CBI probe into the incident. It observed a statewide protest and demonstration against the killings on Friday.

Bhatpara area in the Barrackpore belt is one of the prominent areas with a huge Hindi speaking population.

A TMC citadel for long, Bhatpara has been witnessing frequent post-poll violence between the rival parties. The fight has intensified ever since Arjun Singh crossed over from the TMC to the BJP and won the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat, under which Bhatpara falls.

In the by-election to the Bhatpara assembly seat that was held along with the Lok Sabha elections, Arjun Singh's son, Pawan Singh, defeated TMC candidate and former state minister Madan Mitra.