Scenes from Kolkata's Girish Park area where clashes broke out between supporters of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress and the Opposition BJP on March 14, 2026. Photos: By special arrangement, X screengrab
Kolkata turns battleground as TMC, BJP clash ahead of Modi’s mega rally
Both sides accused each other of initiating attacks with stones as quite a few activists and a police officer were injured
Violent confrontations occurred between the supporters of West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) close to Girish Park area in central Kolkata on Saturday (March 14), approximately five kilometres from the city’s iconic Brigade Parade Ground, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set to deliver a speech later in the day. The PM had reached Kolkata at the time of writing this report.
Quite a few supporters of the BJP and the officer-in-charge of a local police station were injured, said Bengali media reports.
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Supporters of the BJP claimed that stones were unexpectedly hurled at them from specific locations as they made their way to the rally site, chanting slogans in favour of the prime minister.
'Attacked without provocation'
“Stones were thrown at us without any provocation. They also abused us,” a BJP activist told a Bengali news channel, news agency PTI reported.
According to eyewitnesses, supporters of both parties threw stones at each other and raised slogans.
The BJP, which is aiming to topple the Mamata Banerjee government in this year’s elections, alleged that several vehicles were damaged during the clashes.
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However, local TMC workers denied the allegations and claimed that it was the BJP supporters who first hurled abuses and attacked them with stones.
TMC minister's house 'targeted'
They alleged that stones were also pelted at the residence of local TMC leaders. The house of Shashi Panja, the state’s commerce and industries minister, was also allegedly attacked.
A large police contingent rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.
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The incident took place just half an hour before Modi's rally, which will mark the culmination of the BJP's statewide 'Parivartan Yatra' ahead of the Assembly elections.
The prime minister is also scheduled to unveil and lay the foundation stones of development projects worth over Rs 18,000 crore during his visit to the state.
(With agency inputs)