A violent confrontation broke out between supporters of the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday in the Mukundpur area of south-east Kolkata. The skirmish, which centered around a dispute over the physical possession of a local party office, quickly escalated into physical assaults and property damage on the streets. Among those seriously injured in the fray was former IPS officer and former TMC legislator Humayun Kabir, whose clothes were torn and who was assaulted during the melee. With tensions rising and crowds refusing to disperse, law enforcement personnel deployed a baton charge to bring the situation under control. The disturbance follows recent political friction seen between opposing political parties in Assam.
Dispute Over Local Party Office Sparks Violence
The clashes originated from an ongoing struggle over a neighborhood party establishment in Mukundpur. Local TMC supporters belonging to the Mamata Banerjee faction had organized a procession demanding the retrieval of the office premises, which they claimed historically belonged to their organization but is presently controlled by the BJP. As demonstrators marched toward the local police station to submit a formal memorandum, tempers flared between rival party cadres. Shouting matches rapidly transformed into a full-scale altercation involving stone pelting and physical skirmishes. To prevent the unrest from spreading into adjoining residential pockets, police officers charged the crowd with batons. Following the street clashes, both political factions gathered outside the East Jadavpur police station, staging demonstrations and demanding action against each other.
Assault on Former IPS Officer Humayun Kabir
The violence resulted in significant injuries to Humayun Kabir, a retired police officer and former elected lawmaker. Kabir stated that opposing party workers intercepted and assaulted him while he was attempting to make his way to the police station. In video footage uploaded to Facebook shortly after the assault, Kabir was visible with facial injuries, bleeding, and wearing torn clothing. He claimed that the assailants attacked him in plain view of security personnel, broke his spectacles, and forcibly took his money and personal belongings. Representatives from his party condemned the assault, characterizing the physical targeting of a former public official and senior figure as a critical breakdown in street security.
Vandalism and Physical Harassment Alleged by TMC Functionary
Further allegations of aggression emerged from Upasana Choudhary, a TMC spokesperson and head of the IT cell for the Mamata faction. Choudhary recounted that an aggressive mob surrounded her residence, verbally harassed her, and struck her with wooden sticks. She stated that eggs were hurled at her person and that when her family members stepped outside to shield her, they too were physically attacked. According to her account, her father, who is recovering from a recent brain stroke, was not spared during the commotion. Choudhary also stated that assailants dragged her along the roadway and used bricks and stones to smash the front and rear windshields of her vehicle. Several injured supporters were subsequently transported to nearby medical facilities for treatment.
Lawmakers Allege Inaction by Police Personnel
Senior leaders of the Trinamool Congress quickly voiced strong grievances regarding the conduct of local authorities during the incident. Member of Parliament Derek O'Brien took to social media to share photographs of injured party members, asserting that intoxicated political opponents launched an unprovoked attack while law enforcement failed to intervene effectively. Fellow lawmaker Mahua Moitra echoed these criticisms, stating that approximately fifty police personnel stationed right outside the police precinct stood by passively while violence unfolded. Party representatives maintained that their gathering was a peaceful delegation bearing copies of the constitution to register a grievance, only to be ambushed on public roads.
BJP Dismisses Allegations and Alleges TMC Aggression
The Bharatiya Janata Party rejected every allegation leveled by the ruling party, placing the blame squarely on TMC cadres. A local BJP representative claimed that the friction started when a party volunteer was recording video footage of the TMC procession, which angered the demonstrators and led to an unprovoked assault on the videographer. Speaking on the incident, Sarbori Mukherjee, the BJP legislator representing Jadavpur, described the confrontation as public resistance against attempts to revive intimidation tactics in the locality. Mukherjee stated that TMC operatives were attempting to reinstall previously rejected elements and foster lawlessness in Mukundpur. Security personnel remain stationed throughout the area to maintain order and prevent further retaliatory incidents.
