Bengal exploded against torture of peasants and sexual exploitation of their women at Sandeshkhali — a river island in North 24 Parganas — with supporters of Opposition BJP, CPI(M), CPI and Congress on Tuesday fighting pitched battles at different places from Basirhat to Behrmapore to Rampur leaving a bevy of agitators injured.
Clashes broke out between the police and BJP supporters when a massive rally led by State party president Sukanto Majumdar reached the SP office at Basirhat where the members of the CPI who had charged in from a different side were engaged in a skirmish with the men in uniform.
Stones were pelted from both sides and the police resorted to lath-charge and firing of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. In the melee a number of saffron workers including Majumdar and his security guards were injured, he said. A number of BJP and Left supports were arrested, sources said.
“We were carrying out a peaceful movement against the torture of women at Sandeshkhali and had come to see the SP here … but the police without any provocation resorted to lathi-charge and firing tear gas shells … as if this was not enough the Trinamool Congress supporters and the members of civic police who were stationed at the roof tops pelted stones on us injuring many of our supporters including women,” Majumdar said adding he and his security personnel too were injured in the clash.
A senior police official however blamed the BJP for the chaos saying, “they defied Section 144 and tried to force their entry into the SP office … and when the police resisted they resorted to throwing brickbats following which the police resorted to mild lath-charge to disperse the crowd.”
A similar situation erupted 150 miles away at Behrampore in Murshidabad district where clashes erupted between the police and CPI(M) cadres led by State party secretary Md Salim. The cops resorted to lath-charge and burst tear gas shells leaving a number of Left workers injured. One of them was severely injured and had to be rushed to a hospital, sources said. The rally was organised by the CPI(M)’s peasant wing All India Kisan Sabha.
The third jostling took place at Rampur in North 24 Parganas when the members of the Congress Party were stopped from taking the ferry to Sandeshkhali. “
Bengal had been on the boil after reports of homemakers being subjected to sexual exploitation by local Trinamool Congress dons of Sandeshkhali came to light a few days ago. Sandeshkhali like many other Sunderban blocks is surrounded by rivers, backwaters and creeks from all sides.