BJP Workers Accused of Vandalizing CPM Office in Purba Bardhaman's Bhatar; BJP Denies Charge

PURBA BARDHAMAN: The political atmosphere in Bhatar, Purba Bardhaman, is heating up following fresh allegations of political violence. On Sunday afternoon, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM] alleged that a local party office was heavily vandalized and targeted for arson by workers participating in a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protest rally.

The Root of the Conflict The weekend's unrest traces back to a recent CPM political program where an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was burned. According to reports, a scuffle broke out when BJP workers attempted to protest the effigy burning, leading to allegations that CPM workers assaulted them.

Acting on a police complaint regarding the assault, authorities arrested Nazrul Haque, the secretary of the CPM's Bhatar 1 Area Committee, on Saturday.

Sunday's Protest and Vandalism Allegations In response to the alleged assault on their workers, the BJP organized a massive protest rally in the Bhatar market area on Sunday. The rally was attended by prominent leaders, including BJP's Burdwan organizational district president Abhijit Ta and local MLA Soumen Karfa.

During this rally, the alleged vandalism took place. Local CPM leader Saddam Sheikh claimed that their party office was closed because members were attending other scheduled programs. "Taking advantage of the closed office, several people from the BJP rally attacked and vandalized the premises," Sheikh alleged. He further claimed that the attackers poured kerosene in an attempt to set the building on fire. The Left Front has filed a formal complaint at the local police station demanding an immediate investigation.

BJP Denies Involvement The BJP has strongly rebuffed the accusations, labeling them as completely baseless. Rajkumar Hazra, a state committee member of the BJP's Scheduled Caste (SC) Morcha, dismissed the CPM's claims.

"No BJP worker is involved in this incident because we do not believe in the politics of violence," Hazra stated. The BJP leadership has called for an impartial police probe to uncover the truth and bring the actual culprits to justice.

With both parties trading accusations, local authorities remain on high alert to prevent further escalation in the area.