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Clashes erupt over BJP rally, 6 injured

Barrackpore/Jhargram: At least six people participating in a BJP rally near Shyamnagar in North 24 Parganas sustained bomb splinter injuries on Saturday, indicating that there’s no let-up in violence even during the pandemic. BJP Bhatpara MLA Pawan Singh blamed Trinamool for the attack.

Trouble broke out after Barrackpore BJP MP Arjun Singh led a protest rally from Auckland Jute Mill to Bhatpara More over alleged Amphan- and ration-related corruption.

“Armed TMC goons were hiding at Shundiapara Ground off Ghoshpara Road near Shyamnagar. They hurled bombs on our supporters passing by,” Pawan said. A large police contingent, including RAF and combat force, reached the spot to bring the situation under control.

Meanwhile, BJP supporters scuffled with police yet again near Palta after police stopped a bus carrying BJP supporters. Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh alleged that police were after Arjun since the day he joined BJP. “The ruling Trinamool is out to kill Arjun Singh since he joined BJP. His Bhatpara residence was mobbed by police on one side and Trinamool goons on the other. BJP’s Hemtabad MLA who joined the party from CPM was also killed,” Ghosh said.

TMC’s Naihati MLA Partha Bhowmick, while mocking at BJP, said: “Bhatpara residents know whose writ runs in this area. People will laugh at such an allegation. I would only appeal to BJP leaders to have some restraint on rallies during the pandemic because the virus won’t spare either BJP or Trinamool.”

At a rally in Jhargram on Saturday, BJP leader Sayantan Basu asked people not to pay electricity bills. “You don’t have to pay electricity bills at increased rates. We will waive payment of your bills, be it from CESC or WBSEB, when we come to power,” Basu said. He alleged that TMC and police were taking help from local Maoists to finish off BJP workers in the area.

Basu also accused the Jhargram district magistrate of sitting on the development money that BJP’s Jhargram MP Kumar Hembram had allocated from his MPLAD funds. Earlier in the day, Ghosh gave a terse response to Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee’s appeal to set up a five-lakh brigade of men and women from all parties to help the distressed during the pandemic.

“He had created a 1-lakh brigade earlier who looted rations and Amphan relief. What will he do now with this five-lakh brigade?” Ghosh asked.

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