On way to PM Narendra Modi’s rally, BJP workers target Bengal minister Shashi Panja’s Girish Park residence

KOLKATA: BJP supporters on the way to PM Narendra Modi’s Brigade rally attacked state minister Shashi Panja’s Girish Park home on Saturday as political street-fighting returned to the North Kolkata zone after a gap of more than a decade. Stones pelted at Panja’s home left the 63-year-old minister with injuries to her right shoulder, abdomen and back.

At least eight cops, including the officer-in-charge of Bowbazar police station, and several Trinamool and BJP supporters were injured in the mayhem that continued on one of the city’s major arterial roads for more than an hour in the afternoon.


Panja took shelter inside her home — right on the thoroughfare — as her aides and some cops bolted the door from the inside and barricaded themselves. Bowbazar OC Bappaditya Naskar, who sustained shoulder injuries, too, had to take shelter inside Panja’s home before colleagues could shift him to a hospital.



“They tried to murder me. I am injured,” Panja cried live on TV as bricks and stones rained on her residence. Later in the evening, at a Trinamool press briefing, the still-visibly shaken minister — sporting a dressing near her collarbone — slammed BJP for making a mockery of their “women’s safety” claims. “I have identified some of the men who attacked me and my party workers. I will lodge an FIR against both known and unknown individuals. I have footage of the entire incident,” she said.

Late on Saturday, four persons were arrested on the basis of a suo motu case registered by police under several BNS sections. “No complaints have been received from any political party yet,” a senior police officer said.

The violence started around 12:45 pm as buses on the way to Brigade Parade Ground approached Girish Park crossing. BJP workers claimed their buses were first stoned by Trinamool workers, triggering the fight. Panja and Trinamool workers disputed this.

“BJP goons got down from the bus and took down our ‘Boycott BJP’ flex banners. I was right there. However, we didn’t protest. Our men only tried to put it up again after they left. That is when BJP hooligans from another bus attacked us with bricks and bottles. I had to run inside my home and take shelter along with my party workers but they continued to attack my home, damaging the door and shattering windows and leaving many of us injured,” Panja said. The minister said CM Mamata Banerjee had enquired about her health over phone and asked her to ensure that CCTV footage and other visuals documenting the attack were handed over to police.




The Election Commission sought a report from Kolkata Police commissioner on the violence. Sources said the Commission also asked why central forces were not rushed to the area despite the clashes continuing for an hour. EC has already deployed 30 companies of central forces in Kolkata for area domination and confidence-building exercises.

The confrontation took place barely half an hour before Modi’s rally at Brigade, about 5 km away. Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar alleged in a post on X that BJP’s buses were attacked by miscreants acting on Panja’s instructions. “Bricks and stones were first hurled at the buses carrying our party workers, and some of the workers were later brutally assaulted,” he said, naming a group of Trinamool workers.