RailEnquiry

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress factions, allegedly owing allegiance to two MLAs, clashed on the East West Metro project site at Duttabad on Friday, leaving the ruling party embarrassed.The two groups are allegedly followers of Bidhannagar MLA Sujit Bose and Rajarhat MLA Sabyasachi Dutta. Both Trinamool leaders refrained from taking any names and blamed "outsiders" for the clash.Urban development officials and a KMRC team were surveying the site in the afternoon when a mob of over 100 people stormed in. A quarrel broke out between them and another group that was already on the spot. It quickly turned into a brawl.Sabyasachi Dutta was present when the clash occurred. Several people were injured. A few minutes later, MLA Sujit Bose arrived with the police and the two groups dispersed.The two MLAs avoided making any comment on whether the clash it was an internal feud. Dutta said he had gone to the project site on instructions of minister Firhad Hakim for the survey. "Everything was fine when suddenly some outsiders started creating a ruckus," Dutta said, refusing to say whether they belonged to the Sujit Bose camp or not.

Bose did likewise. "I do not want to take names. I was on EM Bypass When I was informed that some people had blocked the road in Duttabad. They were probably misguided. A survey is on to rehabilitate the people for the East West Metro project," Bose said.

Relocation of families in Duttabad has long been a problem for the EW Metro. A few weeks ago, the stalemate seemed to have ended when the government decided to rehabilitate 43 families to makeshift houses on the ground adjacent to Bidyadhari School. Apartments will be built for them later.