Pandemonium broke out at a SIR meeting of Birbhum MP Shatabdi Roy at Koma Gram Panchayat, under Suri Block II today, as two rival groups of TMC supporters clashed with each other. Shoes were also hurled at the MP’s vehicle when she attempted to protect a party leader.
Sources said the two groups belonged to factions led by two arch-rival heavyweights of Birbhum District TMC — Anubrata Mondal, chairperson of the core committee, and Kajal Sheikh, sabhadhipati of the Birbhum Zilla Parishad. Supporters armed with sticks and bamboo sticks, reportedly chased and assaulted each other, landing blows and punches.
On receiving information, Suri police rushed to the spot with a large force and dispersed the warring groups.
Local villagers reportedly agitated against Balaram Bagdi, the TMC local area president, when he attempted to take his seat on the podium. Supporters of the two rival groups clashed and hurled plastic chairs across the venue. When MP Shatabdi Roy tried to escort and protect Balaram Bagdi in her vehicle, members of the opposing faction allegedly hurled shoes at her official car.
Speaking to the media after the incident, Shatabdi Roy denied that the clash was between two TMC groups, claiming instead that BJP and CPM supporters had “combined and conspired” to disrupt her SIR meeting.
“There will be no impact of such incidents on next year’s polls. TMC leaders are working unitedly and remain with the local people,” Shatabdi Roy asserted.
Incidentally, TMC block president Nurul Islam is known to be close to Kajal Sheikh, while Balaram Bagdi is considered a political protégé of Anubrata Mondal. This is not the first time the two rival factions have clashed in Suri Block II.
Jagannath Chattopadhyay, general secretary of the state BJP and a leader from Suri, said that Shatabdi Roy had attended a party meeting “where her own party supporters clashed among themselves”, adding that the BJP had no involvement. “To avoid further untoward incidents, the MP escorted the anchal president to safety in her own vehicle and left the meeting. We heard that shoes were flying towards her car from agitating party workers,” he said.