The birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda today witnessed political slugfest between TMC and BJP and activists of both the parties were injured in violence over organizing rallies.
Several people were injured after clashes broke out between activists of the two parties outside BJP state headquarters here and at another place this morning.
The two parties clashed at Jorabagan area of central Kolkata over organising a motorbike rally by BJP's youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) to observe the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
BJYM state president Debjit Sarkar was injured in the clash and was hospitalised.
The Morcha alleged that they were attacked by "TMC goons" when they were trying to take out a rally from Jorabagan area. The allegations were denied by TMC.
When asked whether Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary celebration has turned out to be a political slugfest between TMC and BJP, the state president of the saffron party Dilip Ghosh said TMC should not think that only it has the right to observe the birth anniversary of the Swamiji.
"We have been observing Swamiji's birthday for the last several decades. We don't need to take lessons from them (TMC)," Ghosh said.
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, TMC parliamentary party leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay went to Swami Vivekananda's ancestral House in north Kolkata to pay homage to the 19th century Hindu monk.
"It is our duty to uphold the values and principles of Swami Vivekananda. They (BJP) neither respect Swamiji's principles nor his values. They are only interested in deriving political dividends out of it," Abhishek said.
The opposition BJP and Congress also organized various programs in various parts of the state to observe Swami Vivekanada's birthday.
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