In Bengal, BJP stir against Trinamool day after civic polls: 'Thrashed by cops'

Bengal: A clash was reported in Balurghat - about 430 km from state capital Bengal - between the cops and the BJP workers.

A day after the Bengal civic polls, the BJP is holding a statewide 12-hour shutdown against the ruling Trinamool Congress over "widespread rigging and violence". A clash was reported in Balurghat - about 430 km from state capital Kolkata - between the cops and the BJP workers. "Our workers were protesting peacefully.. they were beaten up. Police is playing the role of a cadre for TMC, this is against democracy," Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Bengal BJP protest: A clash was reported in Balurghat.  (ANI )

Visuals shared by ANI also showed the BJP workers blocking train tracks in the Hooghly district. In South Bengal, amid demonstrations, shops were open and transport services were unaffected, news agency PTI reported. In north Bengal, some parts were affected.

A 6 am to 6 pm shutdown has been called by the BJP after elections were held across 108 municipalities in Bengal on Sunday. The elections - earlier scheduled for January 22 - were delayed as the state saw a surge in Covid cases with India hit by the third Covid wave.

Ahead of the polls, the Trinamool had given a caution to party workers to not get incited and avoid indulging in violence. “Today it (a list of dos and donts) was compiled to remind the party-men once more ahead of the polls. The opposition knows they will lose and could hence try to incite TMC workers. Our workers were told not to lose their focus. Senior party leaders will be present in the control room on Sunday,” Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson on Sarturday said about a list of dos and donts published in the party mouthpiece.

Last week, the Supreme Court had turned down a petition by Bengal BJP vice-president Pratap Banerjee to deploy central forces for the local elections. He had warned about violence in the state by the ruling party.

The votes for the Bengal civic polls will be counted on March 2.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)