Violence and Vandalism Erupt in Bengal Following BJP’s Landslide Victory; TMC Offices Attacked

Kolkata: Flex hoardings, party banners and festoons at Trinamul Congress offices in West Bengal were allegedly defaced and damaged following the BJP’s landslide victory, officials said on Monday, although the saffron party denied any role in the incidents.

The TMC alleged that hours after the poll trends became clear, “miscreants” gathered outside its offices in Baruipur in South 24 Parganas, Tufanganj in Cooch Behar and Panihati in North 24 Parganas and vandalized them. Flexible boards and banners were torn down in Baruipur and photographs of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and party president Mamata Banerjee were thrown on the ground, a local TMC leader alleged.

A senior police officer said force was deployed to the area and the crowd gathered in front of the party building dispersed.

There was footage of a mob waving BJP flags vandalizing a club at Ruby More in Kasba district, but police later intervened and persuaded them to leave. “We have initiated a case against unidentified persons and the manhunt is on,” a senior police officer said.

Another senior police officer said that unidentified persons allegedly set fire to a local TMC office at Jamuria in Paschim Bardhaman district.

While a TMC office was vandalized in Asansol, a party leader claimed that BJP supporters were behind the incident. In Panihati, the TMC claimed that the party office was “captured” after flexible boards and flags were removed and replaced with saffron colors and lotus symbols.

However, the BJP denied allegations that any of its supporters were involved in the incident.

TMC candidate Trinankur Bhattacharya from Nowapara in North 24 Parganas was allegedly beaten by BJP supporters while leaving a counting center in Barrackpore.

However, senior BJP leader and Nowapara candidate Arjun Singh denied the allegations and said the incidents were a result of internal disagreements within the TMC. A TMC leader alleged that due to police inaction, “miscreants” protected by the BJP were carrying out planned attacks on party activists and supporters.

A senior police officer said that while Bhattacharya was leaving the counting centre, he got into an argument with BJP workers and was attacked.

Central forces personnel and others present managed to remove him from the scene safely.