The infighting in the Bengal Congress came to the fore on Thursday, as several prominent members of the party's state unit skipped a protest march called by senior leader Abdul Mannan in the wake of alleged deterioration in the law and order situation.
The Leader of Opposition in the assembly led the march from Esplanade area in central Kolkata to city police headquarters Lalbazar, seeking an end to political clashes in the state and alleged attack on party workers.
State Congress president Somen Mitra, legislator Sankar Malakar and senior leader Deepa Dasmunshi were among those who were conspicuous by their absence at the rally.
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According to sources in the party, the protest march was organised without the permission of the state leadership.
"The march had nothing to do with the state Congress. Had it been called by us, we would have surely participated in the rally," said a senior Congress leader.
Reacting to the allegation, Mannan said "those keen on fighting the TMC misrule participated in today's rally".
Meanwhile, a scuffle broke out between party workers and the police personnel during the march, following which some of the agitators were detained.
"The jostling protesters, who were stopped by the police at Waterloo street in the city, clashed with some personnel. Several of them have been detained," a police officer said.
