Bombs hurled, shots fired outside BJP leader Arjun Singh’s residence in Bengal's Bhatpara
Kolkata (PTI): Unidentified miscreants hurled bombs and opened fire outside the residence of BJP leader and former MP Arjun Singh in West Bengal’s Bhatpara, police said on Thursday.
A youth suffered injuries in the attack that took place late on Wednesday, they said.
Singh and his close associates reportedly chased the assailants, forcing them to flee the spot.
“The situation is now under control. Those involved will not be spared... legal action will be taken against the culprits,” Barrackpore Police Commissioner Ajay Thakur said.
Singh alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor Sunita Singh’s son, Namit Singh, was behind the attack.
“He opened fire in front of the police. There was indiscriminate firing and bombing,” the former MP claimed.
According to police sources, the violence erupted following a dispute between two groups of workers at Meghna Jute Mill in the area.
Meanwhile, TMC’s Jagaddal MLA Somnath Shyam accused Singh and his supporters of instigating violence.
“Arjun Singh and his men attacked workers in the Meghna Jute Mill and fired bullets. The youth was shot by Singh, and three to four more people were injured in his group’s attack. We demand Singh’s immediate arrest, or we will launch a larger protest,” he said.
Namit Singh reportedly arrived at the scene after receiving reports of the unrest.
Soon after, the situation escalated, leading to gunfire and bombing, police said.
Describing the sequence of events, Singh said, “Around 10:30 pm, I suddenly heard two rounds of gunshots. I was in Majdoor Bhavan with my close associates. I rushed outside and headed towards Meghna Mor. As soon as we reached the spot, miscreants opened fire at us.”
Singh claimed that at least five to seven rounds were fired.
Following the attack, he and his associates chased the assailants, during which one of them fell into a drain and suffered injuries.
A large police contingent, including Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, was deployed in the area to control the situation.
Several empty cartridges and live bombs have been recovered from the spot, officials said.
The injured youth was initially taken to Bhatpara State General Hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to a hospital in Kolkata, police said.
Patrolling has been intensified in Bhatpara to prevent any further escalation, the officials added.
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Cong claims TVK chief Vijay has sought its support for govt formation in Tamil Nadu
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday claimed that TVK chief Vijay has sought its support for government formation in Tamil Nadu and its leadership has directed the state unit to take a final decision on the matter, keeping in view the state's sentiments.
The party, which fought the assembly election in alliance with the DMK, asserted that the mandate in Tamil Nadu is for a secular government and that it is determined "not to have the BJP and its proxies run the government of Tamil Nadu in any manner".
Top Congress leaders held a meeting at party chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence on Tuesday evening that was attended by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar, among others.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Congress general secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal said the Congress leadership discussed the post-election scenario in Tamil Nadu.
"TVK President Thiru Vijay has requested the Indian National Congress for support to form a Government in Tamil Nadu. He has spoken about drawing inspiration from Perumthalaivar Kamaraj as well, in his political mission.
"The INC is clear that the mandate in Tamil Nadu is for a secular government that is committed to protecting the Constitution in letter and spirit. The INC is determined not to have the BJP and its proxies run the Government of Tamil Nadu in any manner," he said.
"Accordingly, the Congress leadership has directed the TNCC to take a final decision on Thiru Vijay's request, keeping in view the sentiments of the state reflected in the electoral verdict," Venugopal told reporters.
Vijay's TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, falling short of the halfway mark. He needs the support of 10 MLAs to form a government with a simple majority. The results were declared only on Monday.
The Congress has won five seats, while the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has bagged four seats. The CPI and CPI-M have two seats each.
On the other hand, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has won 59 seats while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has won 47 seats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won only one seat and so have the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and the Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK), while the VCK has won two seats.
The Congress had fought the assembly polls in a pre-poll alliance with the DMK, while the BJP had a tie-up with the AIADMK.
