Clash between factions of TMC, 10 injured; 5 including panchayat pradhan arrested

At least 10 persons were injured, some of them critically, when a clash broke out between two factions of Trinamool Congress hurled bombs at each other triggering tension among the local residents at Nebukhali village of Basanti in South 24 Parganas on Tuesday.

The South 24 Parganas police have already arrested five persons including a panchayat pradhan of Trinamool Congress in this connection so far. The police have also recovered a huge amount of bombs and ammunitions from the village. This had prompted the senior police officials to rush to the spot and a police picket has been set up in the area to check further tension in the area.

The agitating mob also attacked the police when they tried to pacify them. The incident further complicated the situation and the local people are scared to come out of their houses as the area has virtually turned into a battlefield. It has also been alleged that both the group members hurled bombs at the police force but the policemen managed to escape any splinter injuries. Rapid Action Force too has been deployed to calm the situation.

The clash broke out between the Trinamool Congress activists and the supporters of the Youth Trinamool Congress. A huge contingent of police reached the spot and cordoned off the entire area. The local people alleged that the two rival groups also fired at each other. However, police are yet to confirm if the firing had taken place. The agitated mob ransacked many houses in the area and set motorcycles on fire. After being informed, sub-divisional police officer at Canning rushed to the spot with a huge contingent of police to bring the situation under control. They recovered at least 20 live bombs from the village.

Police suspect that the trouble broke out over getting subscriptions. It has been alleged that some of the Trinamool Congress activists had attacked its youth wing leaders following a quarrel over the subscriptions. The clash broke out when youth wing members tried to resist the other group members. Some local people have, however, alleged that there has been a fight between the two groups over area domination.

Both the group members pointed fingers at each group for creating the trouble. Some of the women members belonging to Trinamool

Congress's youth wing alleged that the Trinamool Congress activists often abuse them, threaten them at gunpoint and hurl expletives. Police have brought the situation under control and are conducting raids to nab some others who created the trouble.