Tension remains in the Rabindranagar area near Kolkata on Thursday, a day after violent clashes broke out between two groups, leaving several people, including police personnel, injured.
Authorities have imposed preventive measures under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and launched a crackdown to nab the rioters.
The violence, which erupted over the setting up of a shop in Maheshtala in the South 24 Parganas district, quickly escalated, turning the area into a virtual battlefield.
#WATCH | West Bengal: Security heightened in Rabindra Nagar, South 24 Parganas, after a clash broke out between Police and miscreants yesterday.
— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2025
State LoP and other BJP leaders in the state alleged that a Shiva Temple was vandalised in Ward No. 7, Maheshtala, under Metiabruz… pic.twitter.com/7mkf0LdPXW
According to reports, the clashes erupted following a dispute over land ownership. A group of people hastily built a ‘tulsi mancha’ at a spot where a minority community member had a shop, alleging that the shop was illegally built on temple land.
BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari demanded the deployment of central forces in the trouble-torn area, while the ruling TMC accused the saffron camp of politicising a local issue.
He alleged that a Shiva temple was vandalised under the Metiabruz Assembly constituency, near Rabindra Nagar Police Station, during the clashes.
"The Hindu community in Rabindranagar has been subjected to looting, arson, and violence for hours while the police watched silently. Several police vehicles were set on fire, yet there was no effective intervention," Adhikari said.
According to a PTI report, several police vehicles were ransacked, windows shattered, and the police appeared momentarily overwhelmed by the mob fury.
"Bricks were hurled from rooftops, tyres were set ablaze on the roads, and miscreants torched a motorbike in front of the police station. Several police vehicles were damaged, and at least one police personnel was left bleeding after being hit by a brick," a police officer said.
