A BJP worker was killed in a clash that broke out over Independence Day celebrations between the Trinamul Congress and the BJP at Khanakul in Hooghly on Saturday.

Both Trinamul and the BJP had planned flag-hoisting ceremonies at Harsihchak village on Saturday morning and had built stages within 10 metres of each other on the bank of a canal.

Police sources said that when supporters of both the parties reached the spot to begin the celebrations, an altercation broke out, which soon snowballed into a fierce clash.

The BJP alleged that Trinamul supporters attacked them with sharp weapons, killing Sudarshan Pramanik, 38, a resident of nearby Natibpur village, and injuring two others. The police sources said Pramanik was hit on the neck with a sharp-edged weapon and died on the spot.

In retaliation, BJP workers set fire to a portion of a wooden bridge over the canal and vandalised the Trinamul dais.

Trinamul claimed that the murder was the fallout of BJP infighting.

“Our party has no connection with the murder and it was a result of the BJP’s infighting. BJP leaders are spreading violence in Khanakul and are blaming us for the death of their party worker. The police will take action against the accused,” said Dilip Yadav, Trinamul’s Hooghly district president.

The police have detained 11 persons and a large contingent of law enforcers has been deployed to avoid further violence.

“This is nothing new. Trinamul has realised that they will be removed from power next year and have started resorting to violence. They cannot even let the BJP observe Independence Day peacefully,” said Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh.

In Calcutta, BJP supporters complained that the police prevented them from worshipping Bharat Mata at several parts of the city. In Bagbazar in north Calcutta, local BJP leaders alleged that a programme to worship Bharat Mata was forcibly scaled down by the police.

“We had planned a 12ft-long dais where Bharat Mata was to be worshipped. However, the police forced us into making it a 2ft-long dais,” said Shibaji Singha Roy, the BJP’s north Calcutta district president. Some BJP workers clashed with policemen in Behala.