Bengal panchayat polls: Trinamool-AISF clashes turn Bhangar into battlefield

Kolkata, June 13 (IANS) Bhangar in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district turned into a battlefield on Tuesday following violent clashes between activists of the Trinamool Congress and the All India Secular Front (AISF) over nomination for the upcoming panchayat polls.The ongoing clashes erupted in front of the Block Development Office as candidates of the two parties reached there to file their respective nominations. Within minutes, the area turned into a virtual battlefield, first due to heavy brick batting and subsequently due to heavy bombing from both sides. Tuesday is the fourth day of nomination and like the previous three days, reports of violence have come from different pockets of the state with the one in Bhangar being the most serious of all.As a huge police contingent reached the spot, supporters of both the parties started hurling bricks, stones and crude bombs towards the security personnel. The intensity of the attack was so high that police forces had to initially retreat with a couple of security personnel being injured in the attack.However, the police soon retaliated and resorted to lathi-charge and firing of teargas shells to bring the situation under control. The leaderships of both Trinamool Congress and AISF have traded accusations other over the development.On one hand, the AISF leadership has claimed that the clashes broke out as the ruling party activities tried to resist their candidates from filing the nomination. On the other hand, the Trinamool Congress leadership has accused AISF activists of launching unprovoked attacks on the ruling party candidates. Police have arrested some persons in relation to the development.Till the time the report was filed the situation continued to be tense at Bhangar with sporadic incidents of clashes being reported.
--IANS src/ksk/

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