KOLKATA: The cycle of political violence continues unabated in West Bengal. Seven people were injured at Sadaipur in Birbhum on Thursday as BJP and Trinamool supporters attacked each other with crude bombs and bricks.
According to police, the incident took place when a group of 150-odd BJP supporters were attacked by Trinamool cadres when they were taking out a procession. “We yet to ascertain which group hurled the bombs first. Four of the injured were BJP supporters while the others were Trinamool activists,” said a police officer.
In Birbhum’s Sainthia, an abandoned building was blown up in the early hours on Thursday. Police said the blast was triggered by a huge cache of bombs stored in the house before the Lok Sabha polls.
BJP’s counter-rally
The state BJP will hold a martyrs’ day rally in Kolkata like the Trinamool organises every year on July 21. BJP leader Mukul Roy said the Trinamool’s ‘martyrs’ day’ programme had become an “entertainment event” where “the families of martyrs are given the back rows” while the entertainment artists and politicians take the front rows. Trinamool’s Partha Chatterjee hit back saying Roy “has no right to humiliate the martyrs”.
On July 21, 1993, 13 Youth Congress activists were shot dead during a protest march led by Mamata Banerjee. The Trinamool observes the day every year as the martyrs’ day.
Govt grant in first week
The West Bengal government has instructed the departments concerned to disburse the monthly government grants for the poor, widows and handicapped persons within the first week of every month from August. The grievance cell at the state secretariat had received complaints that at many places, people were receiving the financial assistance every two months.