A clash between supporters of the Trinamool Congress and BJP in Kolkata’s Mukundapur area has triggered competing allegations from the two parties, with several people reportedly injured and police using a baton charge to disperse the groups.
According to police accounts reported on September 23, the confrontation began on Tuesday after TMC workers held a rally over control of a local party office. The TMC had alleged that the office had been forcibly occupied by BJP supporters and was seeking to submit a memorandum at the Purba Jadavpur police station. Police intervened after the situation escalated.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: TMC-BJP confrontation in Mukundapur, Kolkata.
Location: Mukundapur and the Purba Jadavpur area, Kolkata.
Authority/Organisation: Kolkata Police; Trinamool Congress and BJP.
Action Taken: Police used a baton charge to disperse the rival groups; injured TMC workers were reportedly taken to hospital.
Impact: TMC and BJP have exchanged allegations over the cause of the clash and responsibility for the reported injuries.
TMC spokesperson and IT cell head Upasana Chowdhury alleged that BJP workers attacked her during the episode. She alleged that she was beaten and that eggs were thrown at her, while also claiming that her residence was attacked and her car was vandalised. These allegations have not been independently established.
The TMC also alleged that other party workers and leaders were attacked during the confrontation. Several TMC workers were reportedly taken to hospital following the clashes.
Humayun Kabir Also Alleges Assault
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The incident has become another point of political confrontation in Kolkata, with both parties presenting different accounts of how the violence began. The allegations involving Upasana Chowdhury and Humayun Kabir are significant, but the responsibility for those alleged assaults should not be treated as established until supported by an official investigation or other independently verified evidence.
Former TMC MLA and former IPS officer Humayun Kabir separately alleged that he was assaulted outside the Purba Jadavpur police station while attempting to reach the station after the clashes.
Kabir appeared in a video with visible injuries and alleged that he was attacked in front of police personnel. He also claimed that his belongings were taken and his glasses were damaged. These allegations have also not been independently established.
TMC leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien, accused BJP workers of carrying out the attacks and criticised the police response.
BJP Rejects TMC Allegations
The BJP rejected the allegations that its workers attacked Chowdhury and other TMC members.
A BJP account reported in connection with the incident said a BJP worker was allegedly assaulted after being seen recording the TMC procession, and that this confrontation led to the wider clash. BJP leaders described the TMC allegations as false and called for the circumstances to be investigated.
Another BJP spokesperson, Saptarshi Chowdhury, said the party had information suggesting the incident could have resulted from infighting within the TMC and called for a police investigation.
What Police Confirmed
The police account cited in reports confirms that a confrontation took place between supporters of the two parties in Mukundapur and that police used a baton charge to disperse the crowd.
However, the available reports do not establish from an independent police finding who was responsible for the alleged assault on Upasana Chowdhury or the other individual allegations made by the parties. The competing versions remain under investigation.
