Clash breaks out after cops allegedly stop BJP MP Dilip Ghosh’s rally in South Dinajpur

A clash broke out between the police and BJP workers after the cops allegedly stopped a rally of BJP MP Dilip Ghosh at Gangarampur in West Bengal’s South Dinajpur on Saturday. In the incident, one police sub-inspector and two civic volunteers received injuries and have been admitted to a nearby hospital.

“We are meeting people to thank them for voting for us. The police are not allowing us to meet people. Section-144 has been imposed at places. Trinamool Congress supporters are attacking us, a few of our supporters and police personnel have been injured,” Ghosh told news agency ANI.

West Bengal: Clash broke out between BJP workers&police in Gangarampur,South Dinajpur after police allegedly stopped the rally of BJP MP Dilip Ghosh in the area. One police sub inspector & two civic volunteers who were injured in the clash have been admitted to a nearby hospital. pic.twitter.com/ljR1qIuPvI

— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2019

West Bengal has witnessed widespread tension since the Lok Sabha Elections were announced in March earlier this year. Sporadic violence was reported during the 7-phase-long polls across state. Both the BJP and Trinamool have blamed each other for the bloodbath.

It should be noted that family members of over 40 BJP workers, who were killed in political violence in West Bengal, were also invited for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on May 30 last month. It was the very reason for which Mamata Banerjee had turned down the invite and said that the BJP was trying to politicise the oath-taking ceremony. 

The rift has only deepened since the May 23 verdict which saw the BJP creating history in Bengal. The saffron party won 18 seats in the state with ruling Trinamool Congress getting 22 seats. The double-digit growth has given the BJP every reason to cheer. How important is the Bengal win was reflected in BJP chief and Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s victory speech at party headquarters in New Delhi on May 23.

The highly polarised elections in Bengal saw many firsts also. In an unprecedented move, the Election Commission of India had barred campaigning a day early, before the seventh and final phase, after a bout of clashes led to the damage of property, including a bust of reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.