West Bengal riots: BJP workers protest, vandalise vehicles in North Dinajpur district; normalcy returns to Baduria

West Bengal BJP’s workers on Sunday came out on the streets of North Dinajpur district in protest of the killing of their colleague and vandalised buses, trucks and stopped vehicles from plying on road, ANI tweeted.

According to the news agency, BJP workers allegedly vandalised two buses and a truck in Raiganj and stopped movement of vehicles.

The party had called for a bandh to protest of the death of a BJP worker, who, according to Hindustan Times, had died on Saturday after clashes broke out between BJP and TMC workers in North Dinajpur district's Chatragach which falls under Chopra police station.

According to the daily, Sankar Chakraborty, North Dinajpur district BJP secretary had claimed on Saturday that "one of their supporters named Bijoy Singh was killed when alleged Trinamool Congress activists fired at them while they were holding a meeting at Chatragach".

The BJP leader had also claimed that four of their supporters were injured in the incident and admitted to Chopra Health centre in serious condition.

Meanwhile in riot-hit Baduria, life returned to normal on Sunday after communal violence broke out over a Facebook post earlier in the week.

"Everything is normal now in Baduria, Swarupnagar, Deganga and Basirhat. There has been no problem anywhere in the district for the last 36 hours or more. People are trying to resume normal life and we are keeping everything under watch," a senior police officer said.

Though internet services remained suspended in and around the area, locals came out on the streets as shops and markets opened on a sunny Sunday.

Large number of state police and central paramilitary forces were posted in the area to keep close watch on "every proceeding", the senior police officer told PTI.

There was no report of any untoward incident from Baduria and nearby areas in Basirhat sub-division of North 24 Parganas district till evening.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had announced a judicial inquiry into the communal violence that rocked Baduria and Basirhat in the North 24 Parganas district. Banerjee had also accused the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to "disturb peace" and "destroy" the federal structure by allowing people from across the border to enter the state and vitiate the atmosphere.

The West Bengal government had transferred the Superintendent of Police of North 24 Parganas district and the Inspector General of Police (South Bengal).

On Sunday, BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi likened the situation of West Bengal to that of Kashmir and said that that people are not safe in Bengal any more, reported ANI.

“I want to say that Bengal is on the way to become Kashmir. Lot of people are getting killed, people are not safe. The government is not taking anything to control the situation. Bangladeshi's are entering India and living in India peacefully," said Lekhi.

According to ANI, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Saturday that at least four companies of the Border Security Forces (BSF) forces that were deployed by the Centre were turned back by the West Bengal Government. Sources said that the Centre had already sent 11 companies of personnel to Darjeeling to quell the unrest taken out by people demanding a separate Gorkhaland.

Hours before, Mamata accused the Centre of creating tension in the state. She alleged that there was non-cooperation from the Centre to curb violence in the state.

Meanwhile on Saturday, West Bengal BJP president had met West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi and demanded that the Centre should immediately impose President's Rule as the law and order situation in the state has "completely broken down".

"Today, we met the governor and informed him about the grim situation in the state. The state government in collaboration with anti-national elements is directly responsible for the complete breakdown of the law and order situation.

“We have requested the governor to talk to the central government and send the recommendation for imposition of President's Rule in the state," state BJP president Dilip Ghosh had told reporters after the meeting.

It also demanded that all families affected in the riots be compensated by the state government.

The BJP took out a procession from their state party office in central Kolkata on Saturday demanding immediate arrests of those involved in the riots and restoration of peace in Baduria and Darjeeling Hills where a movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland is on.

With inputs from agencies