Siliguri: Atmosphere turns volatile over torching of CM's billboard by BJP men

Darjeeling: The atmosphere remained charged in Siliguri on Tuesday with BJP supporters tearing down a State Government signage with the picture of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and torching it. BJP supporters set up road blockades and tried to stop state government buses from plying. Later the TMC took out protest rallies.

Overlapping the Bharat bandh called by the farmers supported by opposition parties, the BJP had called a 12 hour long bandh in North Bengal on Tuesday against the death of a party supporter. At around 1pm, BJP supporters formed a human chain at the Gandhi More in Siliguri (popular as Air View More.)

The chain suddenly took the shape of a blockade as the supporters started blocking vehicles including State buses on the busy road. They even forcefully deboarded passengers from the vehicles.

Some BJP supporters vandalised a State Government flex with the picture of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. They tore it down and set it on fire. A huge police contingent arrived at the spot.

The TMC took out a protest rally. A scuffle ensued between the two sides. Later the BJP supporters dispersed and traffic resumed. TMC supporters also tore down flags and posters of the BJP in retaliation.

"Ulen Rai has been murdered by the BJP for political gain and to project lawlessness in the state in order to impose President's Rule. They planned the murder. We request the police to use all its machinery to investigate and whosoever has done this to malign West Bengal should be brought to book. The post mortem report states that the pellet gun was fired from a close range of 4m. Police do not use such shotguns. In front of BJP supporters and media persons a man just fired a shotgun from close range and disappeared into thin air? No one saw him. The shot was fired from within the BJP crowd. It was pre planned" alleged Minister Gautam Deb.

He stated that such unlawfulness and violence was unheard of in Siliguri in the past. "The BJP have brought in anti-social elements and have unleashed terror in the town. People will stand up against this. We will counter this democratically" stated Deb.

In the evening a fire torch rally was brought out by the TMC. They staged a demonstration in front of the police station, lodged an FIR and demanded the arrest of the persons involved in vandalizing and torching the Chief Minister's flex.