Kolkata witnessed a violent clash during the counting of votes for rural polls in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, leaving several policemen and supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) injured. The incident occurred late Tuesday night outside a counting center in Bhangore, where members of the ISF allegedly threw bombs, prompting the police to resort to baton charging, according to a senior officer. Rubber bullets were fired and tear gas shells were used to disperse the crowd. A senior IPS officer, his bodyguard, and multiple policemen, along with alleged ISF members, sustained injuries in the clash.
Authorities have detained a few individuals believed to be involved in the incident. The chaos erupted around midnight when a group created a disturbance outside the counting center, hurling bombs at police personnel. In response and to maintain law and order, officers resorted to baton charging. As the situation deteriorated, tear gas and rubber bullets were employed. The injured police and alleged ISF members are currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
A significant number of police personnel have been deployed in Bhangore, particularly around the counting center. The area has been tense since the announcement of rural polls by the state election commission on June 8. Governor Dr. CV Ananda Bose has visited the violence-hit Bhangore twice, meeting with the family of a person killed in a poll-related clash and speaking with the injured individuals.
Notably, on Tuesday, Governor Bose visited Bhangore immediately after returning from New Delhi to assess the situation in relation to the vote counting. The ruling Trinamool Congress appears to be heading towards a sweeping victory in the violence-marred rural polls in Bengal, as early ballot counts have given them an insurmountable lead according to results declared by the state election commission.
The ongoing violence during the panchayat polls held on July 8 has resulted in at least 15 deaths, with 11 of them linked to the ruling TMC. Since the announcement of the elections last month, the number of casualties in poll-related incidents has reached 33.