Amid the ongoing war of words between the Opposition TMC and the ruling BJP over a massive fire that gutted dozens of shops in Khejuri in Purba Medinipur district, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday alleged that “BJP-backed miscreants” set fire to nearly 10 shops in the area in front of police personnel. The TMC MP also accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of promoting “targeted violence” in West Bengal following the BJP’s landslide victory in the Assembly elections.

On Sunday, Abhishek had made a similar allegation, claiming that 60 shops were set on fire in Khejuri. On Monday, he shared a clip of a raging fire on X and claimed that “nearly 10 shops were allegedly set ablaze last night by BJP miscreants” in the Jonka gram panchyayat area of Khejuri, “right in front of police”.

A senior police official said five shops were set ablaze by unidentified people at Khejuri late on Sunday night.

Quoting eyewitnesses, the official said bike-borne unidentified miscreants set the shops ablaze in the Bhanganmari Kolmor area of Khejuri, and two fire engines were rushed to the spot. RAF personnel and Central forces have been deployed in the area, he said.

Banerjee continued his tirade against the BJP, terming the incident “a double-engine disaster”. He alleged people’s “livelihoods have been reduced to ashes because hatred and intimidation are now being used as political tools”.

“This was the true face of the politics preached by (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah and the BJP,” the TMC leader said and alleged that “targeted violence was being carried out with complete impunity”.

Questioning the role of the Central forces, he asked, “Where are the central forces now? Or are they deployed only when it suits the BJP’s political agenda?”

However, the local BJP unit claimed that some people, “instigated by the TMC”, are trying to cause unrest in the area using BJP’s name. —With PTI Inputs