Alleged BJP supporters on way to Cooch Behar clashed with police for over two hours on Friday, leaving a senior cop injured and betraying the administration’s fears of law and order problems around the shelved BJP’s rathyatra.

The clashes erupted at Jurapani Salbari near Dhupguri, 46km from Jalpaiguri, around 10am when the police stopped the BJP supporters who were travelling in nine buses. BJP leaders denied their supporters’ involvement in the violence.

The rathyatra could not roll out of Cooch Behar following an order of the Calcutta High Court, where the state had expressed apprehensions of law and order problems if the programme was allowed.

Police sources said Thendup Sherpa, additional superintendent of police (rural), suffered head injuries along with 17 other personnel. “When police stopped the buses, BJP supporters alighted from the vehicle and scuffled with the personnel. After that, they started throwing stones,” said a police source.

Sherpa, who was inside a makeshit camp was hit by a stone when he stepped out. He has been rushed to a hospital in Siliguri, around 80km away.

Dilip Sarkar, a sub-inspector who scampered into a North Bengal State Transport Corporation bus that had just arrived, was also hit. “Sagar Mondal, the NBSTC conductor, was attacked too. He received five stitches on the head. Three other passengers in the bus were also injured,” said the police source.

Among the others injured were Asim Majumdar, the Dhupguri traffic officer-in-charge.

The clash went on for two-and-a-half hours during which two NBSTC buses, one private bus, a police van and three motorcycles were vandalised, apart from the police camp.

Sources said additional reinforcements were sought from neigbhouring police stations. “When locals saw the police personnel being attacked, they hit back at the BJP supporters. Reinforcements arrived and the supporters then fled in the nine buses,” said a resident.

Amitava Maiti, the Jalpaiguri police chief, said: “We have started raids to nab the culprits.”

The BJP denied any role in the attack. “The police were indisciplined…We are not involved in the incident,” Debasish Chakravorty, the BJP president of Jalpaiguri, said.

Trinamul said the incident showed the BJP’s desperation. “We condemn the incident. The BJP is trying to create a law and order problems after having lost the panchayat elections (in May this year). Realising that they are losing ground, they are now resorting to attacking police personnel,” said Saurav Chakravorty, Trinamul’s Jalpaiguri chief.

Jalpaiguri police chief Amitava Maiti at the hospital. Biplab Basak