South 24 Paragnas, 22 February (H.S.): Political tension has once again flared up in the Bhangur area of South 24 Parganas district ahead of the elections, following serious allegations that the vehicle of Canning East Trinamool Congress MLA Shaukat Molla was targeted in a bomb attack. The Trinamool Congress has blamed the Indian Secular Front (ISF) for the incident, a charge that has been strongly denied by the party.
The incident began on Saturday evening in Gazipur area under Polarhat police station in Bhangur. Allegedly, a dispute arose between ISF and Trinamool Congress workers over wall graffiti. The ISF claimed that their wall graffiti was erased and the land forcibly occupied, leading to tensions between the two parties.
Meanwhile, several workers, including local Trinamool leader Khairul Islam, arrived at the scene, where a scuffle broke out between the ISF and Trinamool Congress. Several workers from both parties were injured in the clash. Allegedly, ISF supporters vandalized two Trinamool vehicles, while the injured were admitted to various hospitals in Kolkata.
Shortly after this incident, the car of former Canning MLA Shaukat Molla, who was returning from a meeting, was attacked. The Trinamool MLA alleges that bombs were thrown and a round of bullets were fired at his vehicle. According to Shaukat Molla, he somehow managed to escape by hiding behind the seat of his car. Several vehicles in his convoy were also vandalized.
Shaukat Molla alleged that the attack was carried out at the behest of ISF MLA Naushad Siddiqui. However, Naushad Siddiqui completely rejected these allegations, stating that those making the allegations are the ones trying to vitiate the atmosphere and incite violence in the area. He demanded an impartial investigation into the entire matter.
Since the incident, heavy police force has been deployed in various areas of Bhangar to control the situation and prevent further violence. According to the police, no arrests have been made in either incident, and the investigation is ongoing.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
