BJP workers, police personnel clash in Bengal, many injured

Several BJP workers and police personnel were injured on Saturday, after clashes broke out between the two sides over a victory rally being taken out by the saffron party at Gangarampur area of North Dinajpur district.

BJP workers "forcibly took out" the procession 'Abhinandan Yatra' without taking any permission from the authorities concerned, a police officer said.

When police personnel tried to stop the rally, irate BJP workers clashed with them, following which a number of people from both sides suffered injuries, he said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Thursday said victory rallies will not be allowed by any party in West Bengal, including the ruling Trinamool Congress.

BJP state president and MP Dilip Ghosh, who was a part of the rally, alleged that the TMC government is disallowing such processions, as it is afraid of the saffron party's rise in the state.

"We have won 18 seats in West Bengal and our vote share has also increased 40.5 per cent... We wanted to thank the people by organising these rallies.

"But, the state government is so afraid of the rise of the BJP that it is denying us permission to conduct rallies. We will go ahead with the marches even if we don't get a clearance for them," Ghosh asserted.

Reacting to the reports of clashes, TMC secretary general and state minister Partha Chatterjee said the BJP is trying to "vitiate the peaceful atmosphere" in West Bengal.

"We also won 22 seats but we didn't organise any victory rally. The TMC does not want to disturb the law and order situation in the state," Chatterjee said.

On Friday, police registered suo motu cases against the BJP's North Dinajpur district leadership for taking out victory rallies in violation of the state government order banning them.