All hell broke loose in Kolkata and Howrah on Thursday even as thousands of left supporters fought pitched battles with police leaving dozens on both sides injured, some of them grievously, police sources said.
Though senior Minister Subroto Mukherjee said the left had intentionally created trouble as they had no issue at hand to agitate. CPI(M) politburo member Biman Bose, who also was injured, said police had acted as Trinamool goons staged an attack on peaceful processions led by the left parties.
In a rare show of aggression ever since they lost power in Bengal, the left Front had on Thursday called a “procession to Nabanna,” the State Government headquarters in support of a number of demands for State farmers and in protest against rising prices, deteriorating law and order situation.
But trouble started even as processions approaching from various sides of Howrah and Kolkata were barricaded off by police.
When the left supporters tried to break the barricades police resorted to massive lathi-charge. The left retaliated with pelting bricks forcing police to fire teargas shells.
In the melee, alleged Trinamool supporters charged bombs at the left procession even as it was crossing Kona Express Way in Howrah.
Marxist leaders like Biman Bose, Opposition leader Suryakanto Mishra, Md Salim and Ritabrata Bhattacharya were injured in the attack sources said. A number of police men also received injuries.