TMC, Left workers clash in Alipore as city candidates file nomination papers
Times of India | 10 May 2024
Kolkata: Left and TMC workers clashed with each other at Gopalnagar in south Kolkata while the candidates were headed to the Alipore Survey Building near the crossing on Wednesday to file their nominations.
Police said it was around noon that Left’s Kolkata South candidate Saira Shah Halim and her supporters were crossing the Kalighat bridge when TMC supporters began playing “khela hobe” and other songs on mike in anticipation to the approach of their candidate Mala Roy and trouble ensued.
Trinamool Congress, however, alleged that CPM supporters had started shouting “chor chor” slogans when they were on the road in front of CM Mamata Banerjee’s residence and also when they reached Alipore Survey building.
Sources said CPM workers were waiting for Halim behind a temporary barricade in front of the Survey Building. They allegedly started shouting slogans when they saw Trinamool workers nearby. This resulted in an altercation first and ended with scuffles. More TMC workers rushed to the spot and the situation turned tense. This continued for nearly 30 minutes before police could separate the two warring groups.
“We were on schdule. They had also taken time slot from the Election Commission and were present at the spot. There was an altercation,” said Fuad Halim, a CPM functionary. Saira Shah Halim went to meet former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at his Palm Avenue residence after the incident.
Chandan Sen, a Trinamool functionary, said: “They had started sloganeering and our supporters only resisted.”
This led to traffic disruption for over an hour in the area and several vehicles had to be diverted and were asked to Judges Court Road and Hazra Road.
The chief electoral officer has asked for a report from DM of South 24 Parganas. “DM Sumit Gupta was asked to allot separate timings for different parties for nomination,” said a source.