Bengal teenager shot during BJP-Trinamool clash

Kolkata, June 23 (IANS) A teenage boy is in critical condition after he sustained bullet injuries along with two others following a clash between workers of the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Patrasayer in West Bengal's Bankura district.A clash erupted in the area on Saturday after the BJP activists allegedly shouted "Jai Shri Ram" slogans at Trinamool workers when they were returning from a Trinamool Congress rally led by state Minister and senior party leader Suvendu Adhikari. Following the clashes, a 14 year-old victim, Soumen Bauri, is battling for his life at Bankura Medical College and Hospital.Expressing concern over the injury of the teenager, BJP state President Dilip Ghosh said it is unfortunate that people are being shot for shouting a slogan."How can one open fire for chanting Jai Shri Ram? Where have we reached? Is this Pakistan?", Ghosh pointed out.BJP's Bankura MP Subhas Sarkar has accused the police of firing and targeting his party workers."All three injured persons sustained bullet wounds. Police said they had fired rubber bullets, which is untrue", Sarkar said after visiting the victims at the Bankura Medical College.
--IANS bnd/ssp/niy/bc