Trinamool, police clash; 100 injured

Over 100 people, including a few policemen, were injured when police baton charged Trinamool Congress supporters in Burdwan district’s troubled Mongolkote area on Saturday.

Over 100 people, including a few policemen, were injured when police baton charged Trinamool Congress supporters in Burdwan district’s troubled Mongolkote area on Saturday.

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This prompted party chief Mamata Banerjee’s to announce a rally at the same spot on Tuesday.

Trouble began when a Trinamool team comprising the party’s MPs and MLAs — including Madan Mitra, Shubhendu Adhikary, Sanjay Bakshi, Prasanta Pramanik and Swapan Debath — tried to move towards Dhanyarukhi village, where the government had clamped prohibitory orders banning the assembly of over four persons.

Superintendent of Police, Burdwan, R. Rajshekharan said it was a peaceful rally initially. But they went out of control and attacked the cops when they were stopped from going to Mangalkot. “Some policemen were injured,” said Rajshekharan.

Defending the party members, Adhikary said: “Trinamool Congress supporters didn’t start the violence. We had urged our supporters not to resort to violence. The entire incident was pre-planned and was the handiwork of CPI(M) cadres. They hurled bricks and later torched jeeps.” He said the party would protest against “this police atrocity”.

“Trinamool Congress supporters will protest outside every police station in the state on Monday,” he added.