Kolkata: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport turned into a political battlefield on Friday evening when a violent clash erupted between workers of the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Kicks and punches were freely exchanged between the rival factions just outside the terminal building, causing widespread panic and chaos among travellers. The high voltage confrontation took place shortly before the arrival of Trinamool Congress National General Secretary and Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee from New Delhi.
The trouble reportedly started when a group of BJP supporters gathered outside the airport arrival area with an alleged plan to protest against Banerjee. Security sources indicated that some demonstrators had carried rotten eggs, intending to target the senior Trinamool leader upon his return from the national capital, where he had been attending meetings with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Word of this planned demonstration quickly spread to local Trinamool loyalists, who swarmed the airport premises in large numbers to counter the opposition presence.
The situation rapidly deteriorated into a free for all as the two groups came face to face near the exit gates. Slogans and counter slogans quickly gave way to physical violence, with workers from both political outfits seen pushing, shoving, and exchanging blows in full public view. Viral video footage of the incident captured scenes of intense commotion, showing security personnel struggling to separate the aggressive party workers while frightened flyers rushed inside with their luggage to escape the madness.
The sudden outbreak of political violence inside a highly secure infrastructure zone has triggered severe public concern regarding passenger safety. For over an hour, the entry and exit points of the airport remained heavily compromised, causing temporary traffic snarls and immense harassment to passengers catching flights. Heavy police reinforcements along with Central Industrial Security Force personnel had to be deployed to clear the area, restore order, and secure the arrival route for the Trinamool leader’s convoy.
While the Central Industrial Security Force and local police have successfully brought the situation under control, the incident underscores the volatile political climate ahead of local body elections. Both parties have traded charges over the violence, ensuring that the political temperature in West Bengal remains at a boiling point.