Four police personnel injured in clash with BJP at Durgapur

Four police personnel and several others were injured in clashes with BJP activists on Thursday over a proposed rally here which was allegedly being organised without proper permission.

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh claimed that the owner of the ground had granted permission for holding the rally but the district police administration had declined to grant it in the last minute citing "baseless" reasons.

The police declined to comment on the reason for which the permission for the rally was declined.

The clash took place this morning after BJP leaders tried to hold the rally at a ground near the industrial town without any proper permission, the police said.

When police along with the civic police tried to stop the BJP activists from conducting the rally by taking away the microphone, clashes broke out between the two sides.

"Four police personnel and others were injured. We have started an investigation," said a police official.

Television footages showed BJP activists attacking civic police personnel with bamboo sticks and the police resorting to lathi charge to disperse the crowd.

The BJP leadership said that as the police had denied them permission at the last moment the rally was organised on a makeshift dais mounted on a vehicle.

"Because it was a BJP rally, we were denied permission at the last moment. Had it been a TMC rally, the police would have immediately given the permission.

"The TMC government is using the police as a political tool to stifle the voice of opposition," BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said.

Mayor of Asansol and senior TMC leader Jitendranath Tiwari criticised BJP for not following rules and questioned BJP for "forcibly" holding a rally without any proper permission.

"How can any party hold a rally without permission from the police? It is for the police to decide who will get permission. Had there been a law and order problem who would have taken the responsibility?" he said.

The TMC leadership said it will hold a protest rally in the same area on November 3 against the "hooliganisam" of BJP.