Kolkata, Nov 3 (IANS) At least 17 people were injured in a clash between armed activists of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal’s Birbhum district Tuesday, police said.
The clash broke out as the rival groups opened fire and also hurled crude bombs at each other, according to police sources.

“When our first group of policemen reached the spot, goons from both sides shot at our force. The policemen had to return. Later, huge contingents of police rushed to the troubled area and brought the situation under control. We have registered complaints from both sides and will take action after preliminary investigation,” Birbhum district Additional Superintendent of Police Farhat Abbas said.

“Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed in the troubled zone to maintain the law and order situation there,” Abbas said.

Trinamool Congress Birbhum district president Kesto Mondal said: “The CPI-M have lost the Thupsara gram panchayat in 2008 rural body election. For the past few days, they were insisting our members join their camp. But our members refused to follow their diktat. The violence is a result of that.”

“This is quite mysterious to us why the police arrived so late to the spot,” said Mondal.

“This violent attack by CPI-M cadres signals that they are again trying to recapture Nanoor ahead of state assembly elections in 2011,” he added.

Nanoor, a CPI-M stronghold area, witnessed killing of 11 Trinamool supporters in 2002.

District CPI-M leadership, however, denied the charge.

“Altogether, 10 of our party supporters were injured in the clash. Trinammol Congress tried to capture CPI-M base by force. And, we have right to resist an attack on us,” CPI-M zonal committee secretary Samir Bhattacharjee said.

After the Lok Sabha polls, which saw the Congress-Trinamool combine almost sweeping the state, the state has witnessed regular political clashes which have claimed over 100 lives so far.