District Trinamul leaders in Cooch Behar on Saturday opened two offices of the party after nearly six months.
The offices, party insiders said, were closed since the panchayat elections were held in July this year. Both the offices are located in Bhetaguri of Dinhata subdivision, the native place of Nisith Pramanik, the Cooch Behar BJP MP and Union minister of state for home affairs.
“We reopened both offices today (Saturday). If BJP workers in Bhetaguri prevent our workers from running the offices or from carrying out political activities, they would not be allowed to move out of their areas,” said Udayan Guha, the north Bengal development minister and Trinamul Dinhata MLA, who was present when the offices were reopened.
While one of the offices is in a local market, the other is close to railway tracks that cross the area.
At the rural polls, the BJP secured a majority in Bhetaguri I and II panchayats. Allegedly, after the results, workers and supporters of the saffron camp exerted pressure on local Trinamul workers which made the latter shut down the party offices.
“Nisith Pramanik was trying to prove that Bhetaguri is his bastion and his associates resorted to highhandedness to force our people (Trinamul) to shut down the offices. But the closure of offices of the state's ruling party did not send a good message. That is why, we made up our mind to reopen both offices,” said a senior Trinamul functionary.
Along with Guha, district Trinamul president Avijit De Bhowmik, Sitai MLA Jagadish Barma Basunia and over 100 Trinamul supporters walked up to the offices on Saturday. Later, Trinamul also held a street corner event.
Trinamul members accused BJP supporters of lobbing bombs in the market near one of the offices on Saturday. "Goons who lobbed bombs today are getting shelter from the MP,” alleged Guha.
The BJP also held a rally in Bhetaguri where over 100 women marched with brooms. BJP leaders accused Trinamul of trying to foment tension.