Violent clashes erupted between TMC and BJP workers outside the Jagatdal police station in North 24 Parganas on Sunday night. The unrest broke out just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile public rally in the district on Monday, heightening security concerns in the region.
The violence was reportedly triggered by the desecration of campaign banners and posters ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit. What started as a dispute over political materials rapidly spiraled into a violent confrontation marked by stone-pelting, gunfire, and crude bombings—including an attack on the residence of BJP MLA Pawan Singh.
BJP workers accused TMC supporters of desecrating campaign materials in the Jagaddal area, sparking a rapid escalation. As rival factions converged outside the Jagatdall Police Station, heated exchanges quickly spiraled into stone-pelting and physical skirmishes that local law enforcement struggled to bring under control.
An incident of crude bombing was reported at the residence of BJP MLA Pawan Singh's residence. Singh is contesting from Bhatpara Assembly constituency for the elections.
Crude bombs were hurled at the candidate's residence, triggering widespread panic throughout the neighborhood and causing extensive property damage. The explosions, part of a broader nocturnal clash between TMC and BJP cadres, left three individuals injured. The victims were immediately evacuated to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment as security forces cordoned off the area.
Singh claimed that TMC members, led by a local councilor, disrupted BJP events. The incident at his residence was the culmination of the harassment that followed it, he added.
The BJP leader alleged that his group was subjected to an unprovoked assault of stones and crude bombs after departing from the police station. In the most severe escalation, Singh claimed that gunfire erupted, resulting in a CISF personnel sustaining a gunshot wound to the left leg.
Meanwhile, Amit Gupta, TMC candidate from Bhatpara, said that his party workers were peacefully installing campaign materials when they were intercepted. He said BJP workers forcibly assaulted a TMC worker and vandalised the local party office.
With the prevalence of violence in the region, the security agencies have been put on high alert ahead. Additional paramilitary forces have been deployed in the Jagaddal and Bhatpara areas to prevent further escalation.
