Crude bombs exploded and shots were fired on Saturday afternoon in West Bengal’s Howrah as BJP and Trinamool Congress supporters clashed, police said. In the chaos that ensued, many vehicles were vandalised including a police patrol jeep and several people were injured, officials said.
BJP members have also alleged that a party member-- Promod Dubey was shot at, while some were beaten with rods and sticks. Police officers are yet to issue a clarification regarding this. The BJP has claimed that Debey has been hospitalised after he was fired at by TMC members at Abhra Sen Street.
This comes after Bally MLA Baishaki Dalmia was suspended by the Trinamool Congress for alleged anti-party activities on Friday, hours after Domjur MLA Rajib Banerjee resigned as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government.
Police said that a huge contingent has been deployed in the area to control the situation and prevent any further flare-ups.
Local TMC leaders said that some BJP members were allegedly extorting money from shops in the area, following which people of the area protested and roughed them up. As the BJP men blocked the GT Road in protest, some TMC supporters tried to remove them, triggering the violence.
The TMC has claimed that BJP supporters hurled crude bombs and set fire to some vehicles to foment trouble in the locality.
(With PTI inputs)
