Several shops were torched by an angry mob in Nandigram town of West Bengal's East Medinipur district on Thursday after a local woman Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was killed.
Heavy police deployment was made in the area to control the situation.
BJP workers in Nandigram blocked roads in protest after the killing of the party worker in an alleged attack on a few houses by miscreants, claiming that the attack was carried out by ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers. The deceased BJP worker has been identified as Rathibala Arhi (38), who belonged to Sonachura village.
The region, which falls under the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat and is considered to be the backyard of Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, is scheduled to vote on May 25 in the sixth phase of the elections.
A large contingent of police and RAF was deployed in the area to control the rioting mob, police said. No arrests in connection with the alleged murder have taken place yet. The saffron camp called a bandh in Nadigram as part of its protest but withdrew it later, a local BJP leader said.
BJP IT Department in charge Amit Malviya on Thursday drew links of a recent speech of Mamata Banerjee with the killing of the BJP worker in Nandigram. Malviya said that at a rally in Haldia on May 16, Mamata Banerjee "threatened to take revenge for her defeat in Nandigram."
"She lost to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, but still shamelessly took over as Chief Minister. On May 23, 2024 - BJP worker Rathibala Arhi is murdered in Nandigram," Malviya said in his post on X.
"Trinamool supporters attacked BJP workers with sharp weapons in the Sonachura area of Nandigram. Seven people were injured in the incident. Rathibala Arhi, a woman BJP worker, lost her life. Such violence is unacceptable in democracy. Mamata Banerjee must be held accountable for her provocative statements and subsequent action by criminal members of her party," he said, asking the Election Commission of India (EC) TO take note of Mamata Banerjee’s "repeated communal and murderous statements."
On Tuesday, stones were hurled by some persons during a roadshow of actor-turned-BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty in Medinipur town, following which a clash broke out, police said.
Agnimitra Paul, BJP candidate for Medinipur Lok Sabha seat where polling will be held on May 25, accused Trinamool Congress workers of hurling glass bottles and stones at the procession, a charge denied by the ruling party in the state.
Both Chakraborty and Paul were unharmed in the incident.
The roadshow began at Collectorate More and was proceeding towards Keranitola, with hundreds of BJP supporters raising slogans, and Chakraborty, with Paul beside him, waving to crowds from a vehicle.
However, as the roadshow reached Shekhpura More, some persons standing on the roadside hurled stones and bottles at the procession, following which BJP workers charged at them and a clash broke out, a news agency PTI report quoted a police officer as saying, who added that the situation was quickly brought under control.
"The TMC is scared of swelling support for the BJP and is resorting to such hooliganism. They can stoop so low as to disrespect a legendary actor like Mithun Chakraborty," Paul said. She accused participants of a street-corner meeting of the TMC of triggering the violence.
"Such conduct by those who tried to create chaos in a peaceful convoy is despicable," Paul said.
TMC spokesperson Trinankur Bhattacharya denied the allegations and said, "We don't believe in such unruly acts. The BJP itself is staging the drama as the roadshow was a flop."
