TMC, BJP spar after bombs hurled at saffron rally in Cooch Behar, two injured

At least two men were injured when country-made bombs blasted during a rally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Cooch Behar’s Sitalkuchi area on Sunday.

The two men, who the BJP said were its members, are undergoing treatment at the district hospital. Police said the situation was gradually returning to normal.

The BJP took out the rally to protest against the ruling Trinamool Congress that has been plagued by several raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The BJP leaders demanded arrests of the accused leaders.

The BJP said TMC workers pelted stones and hurled bombs during the rally that saw a massive turnout.

“We held a massive protest rally (for arrest of TMC leaders allegedly involved in various scams) in the Sitalkuchi area during which TMC workers started pelting stones and later hurling bombs. As a result, two BJP party workers got injured,” BJP district president Sukumar Roy was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Refuting the allegations, the ruling camp said the BJP was making the false allegations are there were no people in the rally, calling it a self-destructive party. TMC MP Santanu Sen said his party would not need to indulge in such acts.

“It’s an excuse… there are no people in their rallies so they are alleging all this to stay in limelight. TMC does not have the need to attack BJP rally, as they’re a self-destructive party. TMC doesn’t have anything to do with it. We don’t instigate, they do,” Sen said.