Mitra attack backlash at home

April 9: The Trinamul Congress today retaliated to the SFI’s Delhi assault on state finance minister Amit Mitra by attacking several CPM offices in the districts. The spate of attacks prompted chief minister Mamata Banerjee to depute her industries minister, Partha Chatterjee, to appeal for calm over a television network. In parts of north Bengal, Hooghly, Bankura, Burdwan, Birbhum, Purulia, North and South 24-Parganas Trinamul workers went on the rampage, storming CPM offices and warning cadres against carrying on political activity. In most places, chairs and tables in CPM offices were broken, ceiling fans yanked off and TV and telephone sets smashed. CPM leaders in some districts were allegedly assaulted. In north Bengal, Trinamul supporters allegedly attacked at least 14 offices of the CPM and the Forward Bloc this evening. Transport movement stopped on Hill Cart Road after a group of Trinamul supporters threw stones at Anil Biswas Bhavan, the Darjeeling district CPM office, located off the road. Reports of vandalism also came I from Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and South Dinajpur districts. In Burdwan, three tin sheds that served as branch committee offices of the CPM were set ablaze. In South 24-Parganas, the CPM alleged that the car carrying party MLA Abdur Rezzak Mollah was attacked with bombs this evening near Ghatakpukur in Bhangar. Nobody was injured. The CPM is yet to lodge a police complaint. In Hooghly, CPM zonal committee offices in Pursurah, Tarakeswar and Haripal were allegedly attacked by Trinamul activists. The house of Dulal Bhowmik, a CPM leader of Haripal, was stormed. There were reports of a CPM office being set ablaze in Jangipara. “I had gone to our Serampore party office. When I returned, I came to know that my home had been ransacked. They (Trinamul activists) threatened us with dire consequences if we did politics again,” Bhowmik said. Trinamul’s Hooghly president Tapan Dasgupta denied the allegations. “We launched a peaceful movement against the CPM in various parts of Hooghly this evening,” he said. Later tonight, minister Chatterjee said: “The chief minister had called me up to tell our party workers that they can hold demonstrations and protest against the attack but peace has to be maintained.” Share on email Share on print Share on facebook Share on twitter More Sharing Services