KOLKATA: BJP MP from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh was injured during a protest after Trinamool Congress supporters allegedly captured a party office on Sunday morning in Barrackpore. Singh was taken to a local hospital where he was treated with eight stitches on his head. The MP, who defected from the Trinamool Congress and had secured victory from Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, alleged the police personnel led by the commissioner of police of Barrackpore commissionerate hit him with a stick.
“First, I was attacked and my car was vandalised at Shyamnagar by Trinamool men. I was staging a sit-in demonstration and the police attacked us without any provocation,’’ alleged Singh.
The Trinamool and the BJP fought a series of battle in the Lok Sabha constituency area since the election results were announced. The trouble on Sunday began when Singh rushed to Shyamnagar to take control of a party office after he heard that Trinamool supporters had captured it. Singh and his men took
control of the party office and pulled down all of Trinamool’s festoons.
The recapture of the party office triggered a confrontation between the supporters of both parties. Singh’s vehicle was vandalised allegedly by Trinamool supporters. The same party office had been taken over by the BJP workers after the Trinamool failed to retain Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat and Singh won.
As the news of the attack on Singh spread, BJP supporters put up a roadblock at adjoining Jagaddal area. The MP, too, joined the demonstration. A large contingent of police force, led by commissioner of police Manoj Verma rushed to the spot.
“The demonstrators blocked an arterial thoroughfare. We requested them to free the road but they did not pay any heed. We had to apply force to restore normalcy in the area,’’ said Verma.