Kolkata: Hours after supporters of Mamata Trinamool Congress and the BJP clashed in Mukundapur on Tuesday evening, leaving at least 13 people injured, Kolkata Police registered two FIRs at Purba Jadavpur PS against Mamata TMC supporters and arrested two of them, Sridip Das and Bikram Pandey.Lalbazar confirmed that one of the FIRs names former TMC MLA and former IPS officer Humayun Kabir and Mamata TMC IT cell head Upasana Chowdhury. Both were injured in the clash. Kabir alleged that BJP workers assaulted him outside Purba Jadavpur PS when he went there to lodge a complaint of molestation and assault. Chowdhury alleged that she was attacked near her residence, dragged by her hair and had her clothes torn.On Thursday, Lalbazar said it had received a complaint from Mamata TMC, but nobody was yet available to “sign” it. “Once the signature is complete, the legal proceedings can start along with the probe,” a police officer said.The clash began after Mamata TMC workers took out a procession over an alleged takeover of one of their party offices. TMC alleged that BJP workers attacked the rally, while the BJP said its worker was assaulted after he was seen recording the programme. Police charged baton to disperse the crowd. Several TMC workers were hospitalised.Party chief Mamata Banerjee accused the police of being “improperly used” at the BJP’s behest. “Let me remind the cops that you cannot wear a police uniform and carry the BJP flag at the same time. You arrested the same person on molestation charges who himself went to the police station to lodge a molestation complaint,” she said.Beleghata MLA Kunal Ghosh alleged that the BJP had taken over several TMC offices in Jadavpur. Calling the police response “police raj”, he said, “When the BJP resorted to violence, the police was nowhere to be found. When our former councilor and lawyer Baiswanor Chatterjee, Kabir and our youth leaders went to the police station to complain about how we were attacked and our female supporters molested, they arrested one of us.”BJP denied the allegations and accused TMC supporters of attacking its workers without provocation. It also alleged that the TMC rally had been organised without permission and that its workers were attacked with bricks.Central minister and former state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar alleged that Mamata TMC was “cooking up” the controversy. “They are still thinking that they can run their zamindari here. This will not last long,” he said.Jadavpur BJP MLA Sharbari Mukherjee said, “Former Trinamool councillor Vasundhara Goswami is shouting herself hoarse to support criminals, and people are supposed to remain silent? Ordinary people are putting up resistance, and they will continue to do so. Why should the BJP be blamed? The blame is being pushed toward the BJP because a peaceful Jadavpur is no longer acceptable to them. They want to stir unrest. This is a joint effort — TMC in front, CPM behind.”
