Howrah (West Bengal) [India], May 7 : The Chaurabasti area of Shivpur turned into a flashpoint of political violence on Thursday as supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reportedly engaged in a violent face-off.
The confrontation, which saw heated exchanges escalate into physical skirmishes, left at least one person injured and created a sense of panic throughout the neighbourhood.
Howrah City Police moved quickly to contain the spread of violence. A large contingent of security personnel was deployed to the Chaurabasti area to disperse the crowds and restore order.
Howrah City Police Commissioner Akhilesh Chaturvedi confirmed the incident and assured the public that the situation is now being monitored closely.
"A political clash had taken place, resulting in one injury. Upon receiving information about the incident, police forces immediately reached the scene and brought the situation under control. All individuals involved in this incident will be arrested as soon as possible."
Authorities are currently reviewing local footage and witness accounts to identify the primary instigators. While the immediate violence has been quelled, the atmosphere in Shivpur remains tense as both political parties trade blame for the outbreak.
Speaking with ANI, Gouranga Bhattacharya, Howrah BJP President, accused a man named Shami Ahmed alias Bore of the incident and claimed that the unidentified miscreants threw around "12 to 15 bombs" at them and fired "seven to eight rounds of bullets" over their celebrations for the BJP victory. He added that the president of the BJP minority cell in Howrah was injured in the alleged attack.
"The president of our BJP minority cell in Howrah district was attacked. Shami Ahmed, also known as 'Bore'who is currently out on bail in an NIA casealong with his group, threw 12 to 15 bombs and fired seven to eight rounds of bullets at our workers today. The reason for this was their support for the BJP; this is their way of trying to capture the area. This has been going on for a while," he claimed.
A local also attributed the attack to Shami Ahmed, saying that it occured over the people's celebration of the BJP's victory in the assembly elections. He said that the miscreants used foul language and began attacking them with bricks and glass bottles. He added that when the people attempted to defend, "they fired seven to eight rounds" and "threw twelve bombs."
He claimed that 12 to 15 people have been injured in the attack and are being treated in the hospital for treatment.
"We were here celebrating our win; my friends and brothers were all standing here. Then those people came from there, Bore's (Shami Ahmed) goons. Bore was also with them. We don't know where he brought all those boys from. They came and started hurling abuses at us. They used so much foul language, sir. When we went there to see what was going on, they started attacking us. They threw bricks and glass bottles at us. When we tried to defend ourselves, they started firing. They fired seven to eight rounds. As we tried to run away, they threw bombs every ten meters. They threw twelve bombs in total. A bullet passed right by me, and a bomb exploded right at my feet. Twelve to fifteen of our people were injured, and they are all now admitted to the hospital," he said.
A series of alleged post-poll violence and clashes have been reported, with BJP party offices being vandalised across several districts in West Bengal after the party's victory in the state.
The election result brought about a significant political shift in Bengal, ending Mamata Banerjee's extended rule. Unknown miscreants vandalised the TMC office, leaving the premises heavily damaged, with furniture, flags, posters and banners torn down. This is the second alleged incident of vandalism of the TMC office.
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