Members of one group left the meeting midway and torched two mini trucks, parked outside the office. They hurled stones at the office, breaking windows. A huge contingent of police brought the situation under control.
Two mini trucks were set on fire and BJP’s party office in East Burdwan district vandalised after two factions of the party clashed during a meeting on Thursday, sources said. The two groups also hurled stones at each other.
Local BJP leaders said one group was led by party’s old timers who felt sidelined due to the entry of young leaders from other parties.
“We had come here to complain that some of the old timers of the party are not given their due respect. They are being sidelined. Instead of listening to us, party workers started misbehaving with us,” said a local BJP leader. The clash occurred when a party meeting at the office, which was virtually inaugurated by BJP national president J P Nadda, was in progress.
Members of one group left the meeting midway and torched two mini trucks, parked outside the office. They hurled stones at the office, breaking windows. A huge contingent of police brought the situation under control.
BJP leaders alleged that the TMC was behind the incident, while the ruling party denied the charge and claimed it was fallout of infighting. “If any member of our party is involved in the incident then action will be taken against him. But we believe it was the handiwork of TMC leaders to malign our image,” said state BJP president Dilip Ghosh.
TMC Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal said, “Two factions of the BJP — old and new — are fighting against each other …. Why would we go there and attack their party offices? Don’t we have anything else to do?”
Meanwhile, in Asansol in West Burdwan district, two groups of BJP workers entered into a scuffled during a meeting attended by Union minister Babul Supriyo and BJP leader Arvind Menon. This forced the party to close the party office. Supriyo told reporters, “A lot of people had a lot of things to say. As they started interacting with me and Arvind Menon ji today, everyone wanted to speak at the same time. There is nothing wrong to speak to your leaders.”
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