Hours long pitched battle between the two political rivals BJP and Congress in Charilam on Monday left 16 people injured and police had to lathi charge to disperse the violent activists of both parties.
The tension was brewing from Sunday night itself as the opposition Congress was readying to organize an event where some BJP workers were supposed to join the Congress. The venue was Charilam Congress Bhawan and Congress leaders including PCC president Birajit Sinha , former PCC president Gopal Roy, Cong MLA Sudip Roy Barman et al were scheduled to attend the joining programme. The programme also coincided with ruling BJP’s a thanks-giving event.
As the mercury was soaring since Sunday night the police did not take any chance and massive security arrangements were put in place.
The face off was triggered on Monday when administration denied permission to the Congress to hold a procession in Charilam afterv the joining programme. It was alleged that the Congress workers then started damaging BJP campaign materials and shouted provocative slogans. On the other hand Congress alleged that the BJP workers had gathered flags etc in the Congress Bhawan areas only to incite violence. However, following the Congress workers’ slogans an altercation between the party workers of both BJP and Congress began and soon violence ensued in full scale and the rivals activists clashed
Police then resorted to lathi charge to disperse the party wotrkers but the pitched battles continued for some time. In the clash as many as 16 persons belonging to both groups sustained injuries. Among them was also BJP Charilam mandal president Rajkumar Debnath
The BJP workers also put up a road blockade road blockade demanding arrest of the Congress workers allegedly involved in the attacks on them. The blockade continued despite persuasion from District Magistrate, Sepahijala- Viswashree B, Superintendent of Police, Sepahijala- Ratiranjan Debnath, DSP Manas Debbarma, SDM Binoy Bhusan Das, Addl. SP Ranadhir Debbarma which brought the vehicular movements on this important highway to a complete standstill for hours.
It was then Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma who also happens to be the local MLA reached the spot and assured the agitators that appropriate action would be taken against the accused persons.
