Attendees from 9 other districts create chaos

MP | 3 February 2019 | Kolkata: There was absolute chaos at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Thakurnagar in North 24-Parganas on Friday that primarily happened because the state leadership of the BJP brought in people from nine other districts to ensure a huge attendance.

It led to a stampede-like situation, leaving nearly 25 persons injured, including five women.

The Prime Minister was whisked away from the spot by the Special Protection Group (SPG).

Modi had spoken for only 14 minutes when people at the rally suddenly broke the barricades a few metres away from the main dais and headed towards the stage in an apparent security breach.

Out of the 25 injured, three are said to be critical and have been admitted to Gaighata block hospital. Chairs were thrown indiscriminately amidst the confusion, leaving the people absolutely clueless about what was happening around them.

Two newsmen from a private television channel were also manhandled allegedly by BJP supporters while covering the rally.

"The Prime Minister met Dalit community All-India Matua Mahasangh matriarch Binapani Devi (Boroma) and then in the name of an apolitical rally of the Matuas turned the stage into a BJP sabha and took jibes at Mamata Banerjee. We are against any sort of politics in Thakurnagar and he had shamed the place by doing so," said TMC district president of North 24-Parganas Jyotipriya Mallick.

Binapani Devi is considered as an influential figure among a large section of people in the state. Matuas, a Hindu refugee community, is predominant in the North 24-Parganas and neighbouring Nadia districts of the state.

"There was chaos as the state leadership of the BJP brought in people from nine other districts to display a huge attendance at the venue," said Mallick, who is also the state Food and Supplies minister. He took out a procession in the area late on Saturday afternoon to protest against the Prime Minister's attack against Banerjee and asserted that similar protests would continue till February 6 when the party will hold a counter rally at the same venue.

The incident in Thakurnagar was a reminder to an incident that took place in Midnapore town in July last year in which nearly 90 people were injured after a section of a tent caved in during Modi's speech at a public rally.