Bus Carrying BJP Workers To PM Modi’s Kolkata Rally Allegedly Targeted By TMC, Clash Erupts At Girish Park

New Delhi: Tensions flared in Kolkata on Thursday as clashes broke out between workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled rally in the city.

According to reports, the confrontation occurred in the Girish Park area, nearly five kilometres from the Brigade Parade Ground, where the Prime Minister is expected to address a political rally later in the day.

Bus carrying BJP workers allegedly targeted

The situation escalated when a bus carrying BJP workers heading to the rally venue was allegedly targeted by TMC supporters.

During the clash, stones were reportedly pelted, triggering chaos in the area, leading to several people being injured in the confrontation, including the north Kolkata BJP district president, though the exact number of injured persons has not yet been confirmed at the time of writing. 

The injured BJP workers have been shifted to Kolkata Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Security personnel rushed to the spot soon after the incident and worked to disperse the rival groups and bring the situation under control.

City on alert ahead of Prime Minister’s visit

The violence has cast a shadow over what is expected to be a major political event for the BJP in West Bengal, as the party prepares to intensify its campaign ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections.

With Prime Minister Modi scheduled to visit the city, Kolkata police have been placed on high alert, maintaining strict vigilance to prevent the unrest from spreading to other parts of the city.

During his visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth around ₹18,680 crore in West Bengal.

A major focus of the visit will be road infrastructure projects, including National Highway developments spanning over 420 kilometres and valued at around ₹16,990 crore.

These include sections of the NH-19 in West Bengal and Jharkhand and the NH-114 in West Bengal, which are expected to improve road safety, reduce travel time, ease congestion, and boost economic growth in the region.

New highway and connectivity projects

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for five packages of the 231-kilometre four-lane Kharagpur–Moregram economic corridor on NH-116A.

The corridor will pass through several districts, including Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Hooghly, Purba Bardhaman, Birbhum and Murshidabad, and is expected to reduce travel distance by around 120 kilometres while saving nearly seven to eight hours of travel time.

In addition, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the 5.6-kilometre-long Dubrajpur Bypass on NH-14, aimed at decongesting the town and cutting travel time by nearly one hour.

The plan also includes the construction of additional four-lane bridges over the Kangshabati and Shilabati rivers on NH-14.

Shipping and railway projects to be launched

Apart from road infrastructure, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate several port and shipping projects, including the mechanisation project of Berth No. 2 at the Haldia Dock Complex and the rejuvenation project at Khidderpore Docks.

In the railway sector, he will flag off the Purulia–Anand Vihar Terminal Express, enhancing rail connectivity between West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Delhi.

He will also inaugurate six redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Station Scheme and dedicate two railway projects to the nation, the 16 km third rail line between Belda and Dantan and the Automatic Block Signalling system between Kalaikunda and Kanimohuli.