Clash in Bengal moves to the streets of Delhi

KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: The internecine clash in Bengal moved to the streets of Delhi when chief minister Mamata Banerjee faced protests from SFI activists over the death of its leader Sudipto Gupta in Kolkata. They manhandled her finance minister, AmitMitra, and tore his kurta.

65-year-old Mitra was jostled and pushed around while trying to enter YojanaBhawan and a woman protester thumped him twice on his chest. While no arrest has been made yet in the incident, police registered the case under IPC Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty).

Although CPM condemned the incident, it did not take long for outraged Trinamool Congress activists to wreak havoc back home. Within hours of the ugly incident in Delhi, Banerjee’s cadre attacked CPM offices across West Bengal.

CPM offices in Barrackpore, Durgapur, Chinsura Hooghly, Howrah, Bankura, Birbhum, North and South 24 Parganas, Cooch Behar and Darjeeling districts came under attack. The chief minister, who was advised not to get down from her car, chose to walk through the crowd. “They can kill me. They can’t stop me from discussing development issues of the state,” an angry Banerjee told reporters later.

SFI leader R Banerjee said: “Our protest is to show Mamata Banerjee that Sudipto Gupta’s death was not a petty matter.” An angry chief minister later cancelled her meeting with the prime minister. After news of the heckling spread, Trinamool Congress activists started targeting CPM offices all over the state. CPM MLA Abdur Rezzak Mollah’s and former minister of the previous Left Front government, Sudarshan Roychowdhury’s cars were smashed by agitated Trinamool Congress activists. Six CPM offices at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district were burnt down.

CPM workers were driven out and furniture damaged at Haripal, Tarakeswar, Pursura, and Chunchura in Hooghly district. At Salkia, Bagnan, Udaynarayanpur and Domjur in Howrah district, party offices were vandalised. The police said the situation was under control. CPM Bankura district leader Amiyo Patro alleged around 30 armed TC workers raided the Marxist party office at Taldangra with the police remaining a mute spectator. In Birbhum district around 100 Trinamool 100 activists broke into the party office and vandalised it, alleged Debashis Ganguly, CPM