Clashes erupt in Kolkata ahead of Modi rally; eight police personnel injured

Tension gripped central Kolkata on Saturday as violent clashes broke out between supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) barely half an hour before a massive rally addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground.

The skirmish left eight police personnel and a BJP leader injured, officials said, adding that the situation was eventually brought under control after a heavy police deployment.

The unrest unfolded roughly five kilometres from the rally venue, as groups of BJP supporters were making their way toward the meeting that marked the culmination of the party’s statewide ‘Parivartan Yatra’, organised ahead of the next West Bengal assembly elections.

Amid the chaos, allegations surfaced that stones were hurled at the residence of West Bengal minister Shashi Panja in the Girish Park area. Addressing reporters later in the day, Panja — flanked by fellow minister Bratya Basu and Saayoni Ghosh, MP of the TMC — claimed she was struck in the abdomen by bricks thrown from outside her house. Several party supporters and members of her office staff were also injured, she said, alleging that the attackers had intended to kill her.

Panja questioned the BJP’s narrative of political change. “Is this the BJP’s idea of ‘Parivartan’ — to attack a woman minister and target the residence of veteran leader late Ajit Panja?” she asked, while Basu described the incident as unprecedented in independent India.

Eyewitnesses reported that supporters of both parties exchanged stones and slogans, rapidly escalating tensions in the bustling neighbourhood. During the attempt to restore order, Bowbazar police station officer-in-charge Bappaditya Naskar was injured, police sources said.

The BJP, meanwhile, claimed that its north Kolkata district president Tamaghno Ghosh and several party workers were hurt in the clashes. Ghosh was later taken to a hospital for treatment, party leaders said. According to BJP activists, stones were thrown at their supporters without provocation while they were heading to the rally, and several vehicles — including buses ferrying party workers — were damaged.

Rejecting the BJP’s version, Panja alleged the violence had been deliberately orchestrated. She claimed that buses travelling to the rally carried bricks, glass bottles and even bombs, and that attackers tore down flex banners reading “No Vote to BJP” that had been put up near her residence before launching the assault.

Without directly referencing the clashes, Prime Minister Modi alleged during his address at the Brigade Parade Ground that attempts had been made to block BJP supporters from attending the rally by stopping them on bridges and detaining workers.

Countering the TMC’s allegations, Union minister Sukanta Majumdar accused TMC supporters of pelting bricks and stones at buses carrying BJP workers and assaulting activists at the behest of Panja. After visiting injured party members in hospital, Majumdar claimed the incident reflected the ruling party’s anxiety after witnessing the large turnout at the rally.

BJP councillor and party spokesperson Sajal Ghosh alleged that the police initially remained inactive when TMC activists attacked BJP supporters heading toward the Brigade meeting, forcing them to defend themselves.

Police later rushed a large contingent to the area, dispersing the mobs and restoring order. Four people have been arrested in connection with the clashes, and raids are underway to apprehend others allegedly involved.

As the violence unfolded, the usually bustling locality witnessed scenes of alarm, with shopkeepers hurriedly pulling down shutters while residents looked on anxiously. Though calm was eventually restored, the incident has once again underscored the charged political atmosphere in West Bengal as parties gear up for the upcoming electoral contest.

With PTI inputs