In a dramatic fallout from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Brigade Parade Ground rally, TMC heavyweights accused BJP of inciting violence against their own. The swift response came via an urgent media briefing where leaders dissected the PM’s words and linked them directly to an attack on Fire Minister Shashi Panja’s Girish Park residence.
Bratya Basu, TMC’s outspoken education minister, didn’t hold back. ‘PM Modi’s Brigade speech set the stage for what happened at my colleague’s home,’ he charged. Detailing the mayhem, Basu noted stones, bottles, and broken glass raining down – an attack unseen against any sitting minister in recent state history.
Eyewitness accounts paint a chaotic picture: As BJP convoys headed to the rally, tensions boiled over. Panja described the horror: BJP-capped men from a bus halted, raised provocative chants, and hurled projectiles. A brick struck her stomach, reopening old surgical wounds. ‘This isn’t politics; it’s thuggery,’ she asserted, tying it to Modi’s ‘even the score’ remarks.
Three TMC loyalists – Shubham, Souvik, and Krishna – were hospitalized with serious head and chest trauma. BJP countered, claiming their peaceful marchers were ambushed by TMC goons lobbing bricks.
With elections looming, Mamata’s camp frames this as BJP’s desperate ploy to derail Bengal’s harmony message. Panja challenged Modi: ‘Are you PM for BJP alone, or for every citizen?’ The incident has social media ablaze, with calls for investigations growing louder. As rival camps trade barbs, Kolkata simmers under political heat.