The campus violence over college council elections that started on Friday continued and spread to newer areas on Saturday with ruling Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad cadres allegedly attacking the BJP and CPI(M) students’ wings — ABVP and SFI leaving a number of them injured in Burdwan, Asansol, Raniganj Birbhum and other places.
Clashes erupted at various colleges when the Trinamool goons tried to prevent the ABVP and SFI workers from filing their nominations, source alleged. Even women were not spared as Trinamool goons armed with lathis, rods and swords attacked ABVP workers at Asansol and Raniganj. A State-level ABVP leader received head injuries when armed men backed by the Trinamool Congress covered their faces with the black pieces of cloth provided by the Rapid Action Force that had come to man the poll process and beat the opposition up black and blue. Bombs were hurled at the opposition groups at Kalna and Rampurhat sources said.
Seven SFI workers were injured when they were attacked at Galsi and Burdwan, sources said adding the SFI supporters were attacked with bombs and swords. With poll-related campus violence taking a number of lives over the past a few years, an embarrassed State Government had suspended college elections for about a year. But, clashes erupted as soon as the poll process started on Friday. A large number of ABVP workers were injured on Friday also when Trinamool goons attacked them at Ilambazar and Bolpur in Birbhum, and Bankura districts.
The BJP had in the general elections polled 16.5 per cent votes while the left had got 30 per cent votes. The Trinamool Congress had polled 39 per cent while the Congress garnered 9 per cent votes. With the BJP trying to expand its support base further they were facing more attacks from the Trinamool experts said. “The Trinamool is trying to hold their ground by all means, hence the attack” said State BJP leader JP Majumdar adding the party would in any case come to power in 2016.