Tensions flared in Barasat, in the North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday during the BJP’s ‘Kanya Suraksha Yatra’ rally, led by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, as Trinamool Congress supporters allegedly clashed with BJP participants, during the event aimed at highlighting crimes against women in the state.
According to reports, a confrontation erupted when the BJP procession reached the Champadali More, in Barasat, where a TMC party office is located. The BJP has alleged that TMC workers made provocative remarks toward Adhikari, sparking a scuffle, and leading to stone-pelting and vandalism.
A BJP supporter was reportedly injured in the incident.
In response, the TMC supporters, reportedly, not only accused the BJP of instigating the violence, but also claimed that BJP participants shouted slogans to harass them and physically assaulted them, retaliating with sticks and water bottles, while they were standing near their party office. A banner featuring TMC leader Mamata Banerjee was also reportedly targeted.
Police personnel, including those from Rapid Action Battalion, were deployed to bring the situation under control, officials said. Several motorcycles were also reportedly vandalised in the chaos.
The senior BJP leader later claimed he was attacked in Barasat, but managed to escape, drawing a parallel to the Cooch Behar incident. Following the incident, Adhikari posted on X that the “Kanya Suraksha Yatra” was a demand for the safety of women in the state, citing a rise in violence against women under the TMC government.
Adhikari further said that atrocities against women were on the rise in Bengal due to a “complete collapse of law and order.”
There was no immediate response from the TMC regarding the allegations.
The incident comes a day after Adhikari’s convoy was allegedly attacked by some people in Cooch Behar district on Tuesday afternoon. Security and police vehicles were vandalized, and Adhikari’s bulletproof car was reportedly hit with sticks, stones. Police have also arrested several individuals. — With PTI