Students, 2 cops injured as unions clash

Several students and two police officials were injured today as police had to use water cannon to scare away clashing Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) student union activists at Raiganj Surendranath College in North Dinajpur district.
Two personnel of Sub-Inspector ranks were injured in the stone throwing by warring groups of Trinamool Chhatro Parishad (TMCP) and SFI before the college building at around 1 PM, Superintendent of Police S A Raza said.
He said there were reports of some student activists receiving injuries in the clash and taken to hospital individually but the exact number could not be confirmed.
Both sides filed FIRs against the other of instigating trouble as student admission process was on, the SP said.

He said failing to rein in the two sides, water cannon had to be pressed into service.
SFI district unit Secretary Pranesh Sarkar alleged TMCP leaders, accompanied by outsiders, suddenly went on a rampage around 1 PM alleging that the majority student union in the college was flouting admission norms and severely assaulted Assistant General Secretary of college student unit Sreyoshi Bhowmik, third year student and SFI member Sudipto Bhowmik, besides himself.

All the three had to be taken to hospital, he alleged.
TMCP district level leaders said that SFI had beaten up one of their activists in college two days back and again resorted to terror tactics today and some of their members had to be taken to hospital.

The college authorities were not available for comment.