Violence flares in Naoda, Humayun Kabir’s car vandalised, tear gas fired to disperse mob

The political climate in the Naoda assembly constituency of Murshidabad turned volatile on Thursday as Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) candidate Humayun Kabir faced a targeted attack in the presence of central forces. During a heated confrontation, Kabir’s vehicle was surrounded and vandalized with sticks and bamboo, while protesters reportedly raised "Chor Chor" slogans against him. The incident has intensified the existing rivalry between the AJUP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), with both camps accusing the other of instigating the violence.

The clash is the latest in a series of disturbing events plaguing the constituency ahead of and during polling. TMC candidate Sahina Momtaz Khan alleged that Humayun Kabir’s supporters attempted to attack her, a claim Kabir vehemently denied, instead asserting that it was his team that came under assault by TMC workers. In the midst of the chaos, both sides exchanged severe verbal hostilities, and the central forces and police struggled to restore order as tensions spilled over onto the streets, effectively disrupting the peaceful conduct of the election.

This violence follows an overnight terror incident on April 22, where a bomb was hurled near the Shivnagar Primary School, which serves as a polling station. While TMC candidate Sahina Momtaz Khan remained unhurt during the explosion, a local woman was left injured, and Khan alleged that she was the intended target of the blast.