Bhabanipur clash: Eight arrested

Kolkata: Eight persons were arrested in connection with the clash that had broken out at Bhabanipur on Wednesday.

Police registered a suo motu case on Monday evening and picked up eight accused persons who were involved in the clash. However, on Tuesday they were granted bail after being produced at the Alipore court. Chaos prevailed on Monday as BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh went inside a vaccination camp at Jadubabur Bazar in the constituency to campaign for the saffron party's candidate and faced the ire of locals, who criticised the leader for allegedly triggering a hostile situation there, violating the Covid protocols. Locals alleged that the tension flared up after BJP supporters accompanying Ghosh shouted 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans. Countering BJP's sloganeering, TMC supporters shouted 'Jai Bangla'. The residents said by shouting the slogan, BJP supporters tried to create trouble and incite people there.

Ghosh, however, alleged that he was manhandled. After an altercation broke out between the locals and Ghosh, the leader's security personnel had to escort him to safety. Two of them were reportedly caught on camera while they were drawing pistols at the agitated locals. An irate Ghosh shouted back at the crowd. Following the incident, Election Commission of India (ECI) sought a report regarding the same.

Later in the evening police lodged a suo motu complaint against unknown people.

In a tweet, TMC allleged that Ghosh's bodyguard had brandished firearms to scare away the people.

"@BJP4Bengal HITS A NEW LOW! How DARE a gun be aimed at (the) public in broad daylight? Do people not have the right to protest against leaders they do not support? Such blatant violation of human rights is shameful! This compromises the safety and security of people in Bhabanipur!" the party tweeted.

TMC leader Firhad Hakim, accused BJP of provoking the people to create disturbances in the peaceful middle class neighbourhood.