Five policemen, several Trinamool Congress activists, including district president of the party, were injured in a clash that erupted during elections of a school governing body at Bagdogra, police said on Monday.
The incident occurred on Sunday night when party president Gautam Dev along with Trinamool Congress members, were protesting against alleged malpractice in counting of ballots during the governing body election of Chittaranjan Higher Secondary School. The governing body election was being held for the first time in the last 22 years. The police, called in by the headmistress, resorted to lathicharge to disperse the agitators who threw stones at the law enforcers thereby injuring the policemen, including a sub-inspector, the police said. Dev sustained head injury and was admitted to a local nursing home while the other injured Trinamool leaders and supporters were sent to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital and Siliguri district hospital, they added. The headmistress, who was the returning officer, refused to comment, and declared all six Left candidates as elected to the governing body against Trinamool Congress aspirants. Trinamool supporters put up a road-blockade on National Highway 31 on Monday bringing all the long-distance vehicular traffic to a halt. The party also announced that it would take out a rally here on Monday afternoon led by Partha Chattopadhyay, Opposition leader in the state assembly. Trinamool termed the election for the post of guardian’s representatives in the governing body as "fraud" as the number of ballots were more than the number of voters.