Two policemen were injured after a mob attacked a group of policemen that was enforcing the lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus at Tikiapara in Howrah district, a 'red zone'.
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The ghastly incident took place in the evening when a police patrol reached Belirius Road at Tikiapara, a minority-dominated area, after receiving inputs that a large number of people were jostling in a local market, violating the lockdown and social distancing norms, reported news agency PTI.
"The police asked them to return home and that led to an altercation and exchange of blows. The locals then pelted stones at the policemen. Two of our personnel were injured and two vehicles were damaged," the official told PTI.
Video clips of police personnel running for their lives while a group of people is seen hurling stones and abuses at them, went viral on social media.
The two injured police personnel were taken to a local hospital after a mob hurled bricks and bottles and attacked a police outpost.
Later, a large police contingent, including Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, reached the spot to control the situation.
"We are taking strong action against everyone involved in the incident at Tikiapara, Howrah today. The perpetrators will be identified & brought to justice. No transgression of the law anywhere will be tolerated," the WB Police said on its Twitter handle.
Howrah has recently been declared as one of the four districts which is in the red zone. Around 75 per cent of the state's COVID-19 cases were reported from these districts. The other three such districts are Kolkata, East Midnapore and North 24 Parganas.
The incident later triggered a war of words between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP. While the TMC said stern action would be taken against the culprits behind the violence, the BJP claimed that the state government's "politics of appeasement" has led to this episode.