Kolkata, March 14 Clashes erupted between TMC and BJP supporters in central Kolkata on Saturday, just half an hour before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at the Brigade Parade Ground, leaving a police officer and a leader of the saffron party injured, officials said.
Allegations also surfaced that stones were thrown at the residence of West Bengal minister Shashi Panja in the Girish Park area.
The violence took place about 5 km from the rally venue as BJP supporters were marching to attend the prime minister's meeting, which marked the culmination of the party's statewide 'Parivartan Yatra' ahead of the Assembly elections.
Panja, flanked by her cabinet colleague Bratya Basu and MP Saayoni Ghosh, told a press meet later in the day that she was hit on the abdomen by bricks thrown by the attackers from outside, and several supporters of her party, including her office staff, were injured.
Panja claimed that the attackers "wanted to kill me."
"Is this the BJP's narrative of 'Poriborton' (change) to attack a woman minister and the residence of veteran politician Ajit Panja!" she said.
Minister Bratya Basu said, "This is the first time in Independent India that a minister's residence was attacked by a mob in such a way."
According to eyewitnesses, supporters of both parties allegedly threw stones at each other and raised slogans, triggering tension in the busy locality.
The officer-in-charge of Bowbazar police station, Bappaditya Naskar, was injured while trying to control the situation, police sources said.
The BJP also claimed that its north Kolkata district president, Tamaghno Ghosh, and several party workers were injured in the clashes.
Ghosh was later taken to a hospital for treatment, party leaders said.
BJP leaders alleged that their supporters were attacked without provocation while heading towards the rally venue.
"Stones were thrown at us without any provocation. Abuses were also hurled at us," a BJP activist told a Bengali news channel.
The party further alleged that several vehicles, including buses carrying supporters to the rally, were damaged in the clashes.
Panja, however, said, "The BJP deliberately carried out the attack, and some of their leaders who led from the front or instigated got themselves admitted to hospitals to mislead."
She claimed it was pre-planned and those travelling in buses to the rally venue were carrying bricks, glass bottles and bombs.
"They tore flexes carrying the slogan 'no vote to BJP' put up before my house, and when our supporters again tried to put up flexes, the hooligans attacked my house on the main road near Girish Park," the minister alleged.
Without directly referring to the incident, Modi alleged that attempts were made to stop BJP supporters from attending the party's rally at the Brigade Parade Ground "by blocking bridges and detaining workers."
Addressing the gathering, Modi claimed that BJP workers faced "harassment from all sides" in an attempt to prevent them from reaching the rally venue.
Rejecting the allegations, BJP leaders claimed that TMC activists pelted stones at their supporters and buses when they were passing through the area.
Some BJP leaders also alleged that the police initially remained "inactive" as the situation escalated.
Police later rushed a large contingent to the spot and brought the situation under control, dispersing the clashing groups.
As tension mounted in the locality, many shopkeepers hurriedly downed their shutters.