Two Trinamool factions clash in Ghatal in Dev's presence

Violence erupted in Ghatal on Sunday during a meeting organized to form the committee for the Children’s Fair. The meeting, held at Arvind Stadium, was attended by several local TMC leaders, including Ghatal MP Dev, where two factions of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) clashed over the leadership and structure of the committee. The altercation turned violent, with reports stating that TMC workers engaged in a physical brawl, breaking chairs and tables. Several individuals sustained injuries, and blood was reported to have been spilled during the scuffle.

The confrontation began when former MLA Shankar Dolui, who had previously formed a committee for the fair, found himself at odds with a group within the party. Dolui had been leading the committee, and his faction had already finalized its structure, with Dolui at the helm. However, the arrival of MP Dev at the meeting led to a heated dispute. It is reported that some members of the TMC refused to accept Dolui’s committee, leading to a clash over the leadership and who should head the committee. Sources indicated that there was a significant disagreement over the committee’s formation and the roles of its members.

Dev, who was reportedly not aware of Dolui’s one-sided committee formation, attempted to mediate the situation. He confirmed after the incident that he had been informed of the committee’s creation but had not been involved in the decision-making process. "I don’t understand why this situation occurred. I am stunned," Dev said, expressing his disbelief over the escalation. Despite his attempts to calm the situation, tensions continued to rise, and the conflict quickly spiraled out of control, with workers from both factions clashing physically.

As the situation worsened, local police were called to the scene to control the violence. The police managed to intervene, bringing the situation under control, but several individuals were injured in the altercation and were taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. The meeting, which was supposed to resolve the leadership issues surrounding the Children’s Fair, was disrupted and could not proceed as planned. MP Dev later apologized to the people of Ghatal, assuring them that such incidents would not happen again. “I assure you that such incidents will not occur again, whether I am the MP or not,” Dev stated.

Shankar Dolui, who was at the center of the conflict, called the incident “a conspiracy,” expressing his disbelief that such a situation unfolded. He claimed that the clash was deliberately orchestrated and questioned why the conflict arose within the party. "I never expected this to happen. It seems like a planned attack," Dolui said. Opposition BJP leaders, including BJP MLA Sheetal Kapat, seized the opportunity to criticize the TMC for its internal turmoil. Kapat accused the party of using the Children’s Fair as a political and financial tool, questioning the legitimacy of the fair's management under TMC's control. "The Children’s Fair is an emotional event for the people of Ghatal, and TMC is turning it into politics," Kapat remarked.