Trinamool workers and those in the CPM’s youth and women wings clashed in Durgapur’s City Centre area on Wednesday evening, leaving at least 12 persons injured.

The CPM accused “Trinamool goons” of hurling bombs at its rally, vandalising and partially setting on fire the party’s zonal committee office at City Centre. Former MLA Biprendu Chakraborty said several two-wheelers of CPM supporters parked on the premises of the party office were also damaged.

Sources said Trinamool workers had assembled in front of Durgapur Municipal Corporation office around 4.30pm to organise a rally protesting the 12-hour bandh called by the BJP. At the same time, a DYFI rally protesting the brutal rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College arrived at the spot around 5pm. A heated exchange erupted between the two sides.

“This soon snowballed into a clash and Trinamool workers attacked the rally,” said an eyewitness who got caught in the clash.

“Trinamool workers attacked our party workers and office. Our rally protesting the RG Kar incident was peaceful. They (Trinamool workers) attacked us without provocation. Our women comrades were also attacked. Everything happened in front of the police but they remained silent spectators,” the former CPM MLA said.

He added the police resorted to charged with batons and lobbed tear gas shells when Trinamool workers tried to set the CPM party office on fire. Five injured DYFI activists were hospitalised, Chakraborty said.

CPM leaders said the attack on workers and the party office came shortly after the chief minister’s “provocative speech” at the foundation day rally of Trinamool’s student wing in Calcutta.

“Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today (Wednesday) provoked her party workers to attack the Opposition. Within hours of her speech, an attack took place in Durgapur. But we are not scared. We will continue our protest against both the Trinamool and the BJP,” said Chakraborty.

Trinamool leaders said seven of their supporters had been injured as well.

“We were holding a peaceful rally against the BJP-sponsored bandh when DYFI and BJP activists jointly attacked us. We will not tolerate this hooliganism,” said a Trinamool leader.

Contradicting the CPM charge, the police claimed they had promptly acted to control the situation.

“We will start a probe. As of now, we have taken control of the law and order. Everything is peaceful now,” an officer said.