Violence refuses to die down in Bengal’s Kankinara in the Bhatpara region of North 24 Parganas district. The area – approximately 40 km from Kolkata, under the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat – has been on the boil from the time Trinamool Congress’ lawmaker from the area Arjun Singh joined the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls on being denied a party ticket. He was later fielded by the BJP from Barrackpore and he went on to win it.
Violence and hurling of bombs have been on in the area for months now, and has been taking place at regular intervals since Saturday. To protest this, on Monday, local people held a railway block at Kankinara station. They lifted the blockade after two hours once police assured them that they would try to improve the situation as quickly as possible.
After the blockade was lifted, crude bombs were repeatedly hurled in the area. Some miscreants tried to enter Bhatpara municipality, though police stopped them outside the main gate, and locked it. Local people alleged that the miscreants hurled bombs on being denied entry into the municipality office. They ransacked an office under the municipality.
As soon as news of the violence spread, local shops downed their shutters and the entire place became deserted. People feared to venture out into the streets.
Police had to resort to firing a few rounds in the air to bring the situation under control, sources said. Police pickets were placed in several areas of Bhatpara and Kankinara.
Meanwhile, police raided an abandoned railway quarter in Kankinara on the basis of information, and found 50 live bombs and a huge quantity of ingredients for preparing bombs.
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