A group of 50 youths carrying firearms, sharp weapons, iron roads and sticks rampaged through an area outside Mamata Banerjee’s pet tourism project “Bhorer Alo” at Gajoldoba in Jalpaiguri district on Monday night, vandalising eight-10 eateries, assaulting the owners and robbing them of cash.

The raid was a sequel to an altercation between around 10 drunk youths and a horse cart owner near the tourism hub spread across 208 acres near the Teesta Barrage.

Sources said 10 youths who were suspected to be drunk had taken a ride on a horse cart at Gajoldoba on Monday evening. After the ride, there was a quarrel between the group and the horse cart owner over the fare.

“The youths assaulted him and barged into roadside food stalls. They also abused local women verbally. The stall owners and local people chased the youths away,” said a source.

The youths were from a place which is around 25km away from Gajoldoba in Rajganj block.

After sometime, four-five vehicles screeched to a halt at Gajoldoba and around 50 men got off. They were carrying firearms, sharp weapons, iron rods and sticks.

“The youths ransacked our eateries and whoever went to stop them were assaulted. The attackers took away whatever cash we had at our shops,” said Bibhuti Biswas, a shop owner.

Another eatery owner said: “The attackers claimed they were Trinamul Congress workers. They claimed to be associates of Krishna Das, the Jalpaiguri district president of Trinamul’s SC, ST and OBC Cell, and dared us to stop them. We are feeling insecure and have filed a police complaint.”

A woman stands near the ransacked food stall at Gajoldoba. Telegraph Picture

Bhorer Alo is located between the Baikunthapur forest and the Teesta and is around 25km from Siliguri. The 373-crore project had been inaugurated by chief minister Mamata Banerjee in October 2018.

BJP leaders, including Jalpaiguri MP Jayanta Roy, visited Gajoldoba on Tuesday morning and raised a road blockade, along with the affected shop owners and local people. After sometime, they lifted the blockade on the road that connects the tourism hub with Siliguri and the Dooars.

Most of the shops remained shut in the area on Tuesday.

“Anti-socials backed by Trinamul are responsible for the incident. The state government should give compensation to the affected traders and take action against the vandals,” said Roy.

The police have detained two persons while searches are on to round up others. Krishna Das has brushed aside the charges.

“The BJP is trying to malign me my by falsely dragging my name to the vandalism. None of my associates was involved in the incident,” Das, who is away in Chennai for medical treatment, said over the phone.

Tour operators said the government should take steps to ensure that such incidents didn’t recur near tourism sites. “Otherwise, tourists will keep away from destinations,” said a tour operator.