Violence unabated, 12 hurt in village board clashes

MALDA/HOOGHLY: Violence erupted again between ruling Trinamool Congress’ supporters and BJP workers ahead of formation of rural local bodies in Malda and Hooghly, leaving 12 people injured.
On Saturday night, a Trinamool party office at Bamangola in Malda Sadar subdivision was ransacked allegedly by BJP men, spreading panic. The attack was in retaliation to that on BJP workers at Gazole and Araidanga in Malda.A complaint was lodged with Bamangola police station on Sunday.
Tension in this belt was mounting over the election of pradhan of Gobindapur-Maheshpur gram panchayat. While BJP won 8 of 15 seats in the panchayat, Trinamool had bagged the rest.
BJP members alleged Trinamool was trying to force a few elected members to switch sides and form the board. nally, BJP managed to form the board.
Trinamool workers said the Bamangola office was ransacked, furniture broken and documents damaged after the board was formed. Dulal Sarkar, district party president, said: “We have accepted defeat in Gobindapur, but BJP workers began to terrorise our supporters with outsiders’ help. Our party office was damaged.”
In Hooghly, Trinamool workers were allegedly beaten up by BJP supporters on Sunday. The Belun Dhamasin gram panchayat at Pandua was formed during the day. Trinamool had won 11 of 17 seats in the gram panchayat while BJP won 4. When Trinamool workers were returning home, some suspected BJP activists attacked them with sticks. Trinamool’sAnil Patra, Debdas Ghosh, Asim Pal and Joy Basu were injured. Local BJP leaders denied the allegation and claimed the attack was a result of Trinamool’s factional feud.
On Sunday evening, Congress workers and police clashed in Lakshmipur panchayat limits in Chopra of North Dinajpur district, injuring some policemen. Police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the mob. Party workers claimed women were injured in the lathicharge. Trinamool is likely to form the board here.
In another incident, Alok Kahar, a BJP member of Amdanga Bodai gram panchayat, was arrested from Barasat. Police said he was accused of raping a woman some months ago. Shankar Chatterjee, district BJP president, said Kahar was being falsely implicated.