North Bengal rocked by campus violence again North Bengal was rocked by campus violence again on Thursday as colleges in Bagdogra and Malda witnessed clashes between supporters of Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad, Akhil Bhatatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad and Chhatra Parishad over filing of nominations for the coming student union elections. The busy National Highways 31 A and 34 were blocked by agitating students, bringing traffic to a standstill. At least 20 people including media persons, police and students were on Thursday injured in a clash at Bagdogra College between the TMCP, ABVP and CP over filing of nomination papers. Around 1pm, TMCP cadres started pelting stones at the rival groups when the latter tried to enter the college premises to submit nomination forms. Things soon spiraled out of control after ABVP and CP supporters retaliated by pelting stones at TMCP cadres. The police had to fire two rounds of tear gas and resort to lathicharge to disperse the fighting sides. Earlier, ABVP supporters blocked National Highway 31 (A) near the college for nearly two hours in protest of the TMCP attack and forcibly barring them from entering the college campus. Several students, including journalist Khokan Saha of Uttarbanga Sambad and Bagdogra OC Sonam Lama were injured in the stone pelting. One of the agitating students tried to torch a pickup van, but the police were quick to intervene. Additional police and Rapid Action Force personnel had to be deployed in the area. Bagdogra unit ABVP president Babita Roy said, “Mamata Banerjee’s government is teaching students to choose the criminal path over studies. TMCP cadres blocked the college gate and prevented our candidates from filing their nomination papers. The police supported them instead of intervening.” Darjeeling district TMCP president Nirnay Roy blamed the ABVP and CP for stoking the violence. “Congress MLA Shankar Malakar visited the college in the morning and his men joined hands with the ABVP and started attacking us with bombs and also harassed our female cadres.” He demanded the arrest of the ABVP supporters who had hurled bombs on TMCP activists and warned of an aggressive movement if this did not happen soon. The ABVP was protesting outside the Siliguri Police Commisionerate office demanding immediate action over the day’s violence as this story went to press. Violent clashes erupted on Thursday afternoon between Trinamool Chhatra Parishad and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad cadres at Gour College in Malda over collecting and submitting nomination papers for the students’ union election. Senior BJP district leader Manabendra Chakraborty was seriously injured in the melee besides 20 other ABVP supporters. The district BJP leadership has taken the incident seriously and convened a meeting in the evening on calling a general or a students’ strike in protest of the TMCP’s alleged atrocities. Meanwhile, TMCP district president Prasenjit Das alleged of a nexus between the BJP, CPM, Congress and a section of the media and claimed they perpetrated the violence. He also claimed three TMCP workers had been injured in the clash. Police and RAF personnel led by Additional SP Abhishek Modi resorted to lathicharge to quell the violence. Vehicular movement on NH-34 came to a standstill following a clash at the Mangalbari area. Gour College authorities said today was the last day for collecting and submitting nomination papers. Since morning, TMCP cadres were watching the path leading to the campus and monitoring the activities of their rivals. Around 12.30pm, an ABVP rally led by Chakraborty arrived at the college and an altercation started with the TMCP, which soon turned violent. Malda BJP general secretary Ajay Ganguly said, “Some TMCP supporters joined our rally incognito and stoked the violence, while policemen assaulted Chakraborty. He has been seriously injured on the knee and spine areas and is admitted at the Malda Medical College and Hospital. He may be likely referred to Kolkata. About 20 ABVP supporters including the college unit secretary were also injured.” Modi said, “BDOs will be asked to be present at a meeting on Friday to discuss the law and order situation ahead of the college union elections in the district slated for January 29.” The CPM-backed Students Federation of India has decided to boycott the January 29 students’ union elections at Munshi Premchand College and five other colleges in town. Although no fresh violence was reported on Thursday, at least three SFI cadres and a TMCP supporter were injured on Wednesday following a scuffle at the Siliguri Women’s College. “We have decided to boycott the student union elections at Munshi Premchand College this year as TMCP activists prevented our people from collecting nomination forms yesterday,” said Darjeeling SFI secretary Sourav Das. “In the tussle that ensued, one of our supporters got injured. We lodged a police complaint and staged a road blockade. However, the police acted as mute spectators even as they assured us of taking necessary action.” He added, “Outsiders barred us from collecting nomination papers today as well. There are 19 seats in the college. The SFI, however, has managed to collect the nomination papers for all the 21 seats in Naxalbari College and 51 from Kalipada Ghosh Tarai Mahavidyalaya of Bagdogra.” The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad also accused the TMCP to preventing its candidates from collecting nomination papers. “The TMCP does not want elections to be held fearing defeat,” said Siliguri ABVP convener Ganesh Kamti. (With reports from EOI Correspondent in Malda and HS)
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 07:44:33 +0000
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