A day after an alleged attack on its party workers by members of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters called for a 12-hour bandh on Monday in Siliguri’s Matigara area.
Protesters blocked NH-31, resulting in shops being shut down, and set tires on fire outside the Matigara police station today. Meanwhile, BJP workers protested outside the station, claiming they were attacked by TMC workers in Darjeeling on Sunday due to their party allegiance.
According to Nand Kishore Thakur, a saffron party worker who witnessed the ordeal, trouble brewed after the conclusion of voting on April 26. Thakur narrated how they peacefully returned home, only to face verbal abuse from TMC supporters due to their support for the BJP. Thakur stated that despite reporting the matter to the village chief and former village chief, no action was taken.
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He mentioned that on Sunday evening, a group of 25-30 people affiliated with TMC attacked their homes, resulting in injuries to seven people. He further claimed that they were turned away by authorities when they tried to file a First Information Report (FIR) at the Matigara Police Station.
Reacting to the 12-hour Bandh in Siliguri, Mithun Pramanik, a BJP leader, stated, “Today a bandh has been announced in the entire Matigara area. Yesterday our BJP booth president Nand Kishore, along with his family and several other party workers, were attacked for saying ‘Jai Shree Ram,’ therefore we have called for a bandh for the next 12 hours.
“Almost 15 BJP workers were injured yesterday and have been admitted to the Siliguri District Hospital and are under treatment… The police did not take any action. After the workers were attacked, we gathered at the police station, but we are still not aware of how many have been arrested in the incident.”
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Darjeeling, Raiganj, and Balurghat voted in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 26. In the upcoming Phase 3 on May 7, the two seats of Malda Uttar and Malda Dakshin will go to the polls. The Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal are being held in seven phases, with the results for all 543 seats scheduled to be announced on June 4.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, TMC secured victory in 22 seats, while the BJP claimed 18 seats. The Congress won two seats.
(With ANI inputs)