NEW DELHI (XINHUA) – At least three people were killed and several injured in violent clashes between supporters of West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) party and the state’s opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India, officials said on Sunday (June 9).

The violent clashes broke out on Saturday evening at Nayjat – Sandeshkhali area of North 24 Parganas district, about 73km east of Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal.

Authorities have rushed huge contingents to the area to contain the situation.

“We have confirmed reports about three killings in yesterday’s violence. One is worker of TMC and two are BJP activists,” a local government official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

According to reports, the clashes were triggered after TMC workers tried to remove BJP flags from public places in the area.

Officials said the three bodies were brought to a hospital in Bashirhat.

However, BJP claimed that three of its party workers were killed and blamed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the violence.

According to BJP leader Mukul Roy, BJP in West Bengal will be approaching federal Home Minister Amit Shah to apprise him about Sandeshkhali killings.

In the recently held general elections, BJP won 18 of the 42 seats in West Bengal, four fewer than TMC’s tally of 22.

Post-poll clashes that erupted across West Bengal witnessed large-scale violence following confrontation between the workers of TMC and BJP.

Chief Minister Banerjee skipped Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony last month over allegations by the BJP that as many as 54 of its workers were killed in political violence across state in the last six years.

Ms Banerjee wrote in a note to Mr Modi saying that “no political murders” were carried out in her state.

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