At least 10 persons were injured when a group of BJP and Trinamul activists allegedly clashed in front of a central team in Nadia’s Habibpur on Thursday.

The team had gone to the area under Ranaghat-I block to check the implementation of centrally funded projects.

The BJP leadership alleged that their supporters and some beneficiaries of the central housing scheme, who had been denied homes, were thrashed by Trinamul activists as the former had lodged complaints against the Trinamul-ruled Barasat gram panchayat authorities about irregularities under the scheme.

Trinamul refuted the allegation and claimed that armed BJP supporters attacked their men when the party was celebrating Raksha Bandhan.

BJP sources said six of their supporters were injured. Trinamul sources, in turn, said four of their supporters had to be taken to the hospital.

Local sources said that in the last financial year, 56 families at Barasat under Ranaghat-I block were allotted homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). Funds to build homes had been allotted but no money was credited to their bank accounts, a beneficiary alleged.

Ranaghat North West BJP MLA Parthasarathi Chatterjee said: “Gram panchayat authorities, being politically prejudiced, denied beneficiaries their legitimate due even after funds were allotted. The houses were eventually given to others. We brought it to the notice of the nodal officer of the scheme and planned to inform the central team.”

“But since Wednesday afternoon, suddenly the gram panchayat authorities became active apparently to avoid embarrassment before the central team and asked 56 beneficiaries to visit the panchayat office for fund allotment. When some refused and said they would inform the central team about the discrimination, the panchayat pradhan and local Trinamul leaders began threatening them. Today (Thursday), when they were going to meet the team, Trinamul goons thrashed them brutally,” Chatterjee added.

Trinamul leader and head of Ranaghat-I block Panchayat samity Tapas Ghosh, however, called it “a planned attack on our party supporters”.

“We were surprised to see BJP supporters armed with blades and shouting abusive slogans accompanying the central team and attacking our party supporters,” Ghosh said. “The allegation of homes denied to needy beneficiaries is absolutely baseless and aimed to influence the visiting central team members.”

Ranaghat-I BDO Sanjib Sarkar refuted the BJP’s allegations of anomalies.

“As far as I know, during the 2016-17 financial year, funds meant for housing scheme beneficiaries were erroneously credited to other accounts. But during my tenure, no such financial irregularity has occurred at all.”

Injured party supporters of both Trinamul and the BJP were taken to Ranaghat subdivisional hospital and released after primary treatment. Leaders of both parties lodged separate complaints at Ranaghat police station. However, no arrest was made till the evening, a police source said.