Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on Saturday claimed that they were attacked by workers from West Bengal’s ruling “All India Trinamool Congress” or TMC party.
“Our workers were attacked today. If TMC wants this kind of politics, then, an answer will be given to them in the same language,” news agency ANI quoted an unnamed local BJP leader as commenting on the violence.
At the site of the violence, several properties were damaged, and vehicles were torched.
Pictures from violence-stricken Howrah emerged on social media, giving us a glimpse of the area’s condition at a time PM Modi is in present in the state. Videos of injured people have also emerged on social media.
The violence at Howrah comes just a day after TMC leader and Legislative Assembly member Rajiv Banerjee resigned from state chief Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet to join the opposition BJP.
Before Banerjee, two more ministers – Suvendu Adhikari and Lakshmi Ratan Shukla resigned from the Mamata-led TMC cabinet to join BJP.
The Howrah violence incident comes two days after a clash was reported at BJP’s Purba Bardhaman district party office in West Bengal. A group reportedly disrupted a BJP meeting at its office by hurling stones and torching vehicles parked in the vicinity.
PM Modi is presently in Kolkata city attending ceremonies dedicated to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Kolkata (Calcutta) is just a little over one hour away from the violence-ridden Howrah area.