Stampede-like situation forces Modi to cut short his speech at Thakurnagar Rally
Thakurnagar (WB), Feb 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his speech at a rally here in North 24 Parganas district on Saturday after a stampede-like situation broke out at the venue in which many people were injured.
Several women and children were injured, a senior police officer said.
While Modi was addressing the well-attended rally of the Matua community, hundreds of supporters, who were standing outside the venue tried to barge into the inner ring of the rally ground, leading to the commotion.
The hue and cry resulted in a security scare and senior police and SPG officials tried to stop people from crossing the barricade and enter the no-man's security zone.
Later, police officials formed a human chain to stop people from going near the stage, from where the prime minister was addressing the crowd.
Modi tried to pacify the crowd by asking them to stay put in their places and stop trying to come to the front of the inner ring.
However, his pleas went unheard as supporters started throwing chairs inside the no-man's zone in front of the stage to make space for others to stand in the inner ring, which was earmarked for women.
Following the commotion, Modi abruptly cut short his speech, saying he has another rally to attend and decided to leave the venue.
Several women and children fainted during the stampede-like situation and were rushed to the hospital for primary treatment, the police officer said.
Some children, who had lost their parents due to commotion, were taken to a nearby help desk. They were later handed over to their parents.
The state BJP leadership, however, claimed that only a few people were injured.
"Very few people were injured. They sustained minor injuries. One person was taken to the hospital and was released after primary treatment," BJP state general secretary Pratap Banerjee said.
Slamming the BJP, TMC North 24 Parganas district president Jyotipriyo Mullick said, "Those who can't organise a rally in a disciplined manner should stop dreaming of conquering Bengal. The people of Bengal stands with Mamata Banerjee."
The incident brought back memories of Modi's rally in West Midnapore district on July 16 last year when a makeshift stage collapsed leading to injuries to several persons.
The Trinamool Congress has decided to take out a protest march near the site of the prime minister's rally on Saturday evening wearing black masks.
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Rickelton's ton in vain as SRH beat MI by 6 wickets
Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton's whirlwind unbeaten ton was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 65 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing 244-run target, Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24) shared 129 runs for the opening wicket to set the platform for SRH.
Klaasen (65 not out off 30 balls) then displayed his all-round hitting abilities to guide SRH home with the help of Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10) in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rickelton's knock powered MI to 243 for five.
MI rode on a 93-run stand between Rickelton (123 not out off 55 balls) and Will Jacks (46 off 22) in 7.1 overs for the opening stand to power the side.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya scored a valuable 31 off 15 balls before being dismissed.
Praful Hinge (2/54), Eshan Malinga (1/29), Sakib Hasan (1/39) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/31) were the wicket-takers for SRH.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indian: 243 for 5 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 123 not out; Praful Hinge 2/54).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 249 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Travis Head 76, Heinrich Klaasen 65 not out; AM Ghazanfar 2/51).
