Two groups of Trinamul workers on Wednesday clashed with bombs after one of the factions tried to gherao the house of a panchayat member in Birbhum’s Mallarpur with demands for refund of “cut money” allegedly taken by the leader.

The skirmishes stoked apprehensions that a section in the ruling Trinamul was using the clamour for refund of cut money to settle scores with rival factions.

On Wednesday, sources said one group led by Trinamul leader Kazi Jahiruddin went to stage a demonstration in front of the house of Sayera Biwi, a member of the Jhikkada gram panchayat. But as the members neared Biwi’s house, another faction allegedly hiding on the rooftop and started hurling crude bombs, triggering a similar retaliation from Jahiruddin’s group.

No one was injured in the clash. A police picket has been posted in the area.

Jahiruddin alleged that Biwi, the pradhan of the panchayat between 2013 and 2018, had allotted 45 dwelling units under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) by taking cuts from the beneficiaries. “We went her house to stage a demonstration demanding refund of the cut money… But her husband along with some other people started hurling bombs from the rooftop,” said Jahiruddin.

Nasimuddin Sheikh, Biwi’s husband, claimed the rival group attacked them first. “They have already lodged a complaint with the block development officer (over the cut money claims). They should allow the administration to find out the truth instead of attacking our house with bombs,” Sheikh said.

The incident, Trinamul insiders said, highlighted a problem the ruling party is facing in the district that has so far witnessed more than 25 demonstrations demanding refund of cut money from Trinamul panchayat functionaries in the past few days.

“Twelve demonstrations took place in areas where the BJP has virtually no presence. This indicates that the party is facing severe infighting,” said a Trinamul leader.

In the Assembly on Wednesday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee made it clear that her recent warning against bribes was meant to discipline party members by asking them to refund cut money, if any leader had taken them.

“Whatever I said, I said it in an internal meeting of the party (on June 18). As chairperson, I am well within my rights to deliver a message for my party. What is wrong in it, if I try to discipline our party, issue a message for purification?” the chief minister said.

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The chief minister .stood by minister Partha Chatterjee who had recently said that 99.99 per cent of the Trinamul leaders and workers were honest.

On the ground, the issue continued to fester for the ruling party. Birbhum alone saw agitations in four places on Wednesday demanding refund of cut money amid signs such protests could spread to neighbouring Burdwan.

Asked about infighting in Birbhum over cut money claims, district Trinamul chief Anubrata Mondal said: “We have no infighting. There is nothing special in the cut money issue. In a few places, there is confusion among local party workers. The BJP is stoking the issue to get political benefits.”

Despite Mondal’s denial, a member of the Trinamul-run Bhramarkal panchayat in Birbhum’s Sainthia, Milan Debanshi, was allegedly forced by a rival party faction to sign an undertaking that he would return cut money he took for housing projects within two months. He had to give the promise in writing in front of police officers.

“We have taken one to two thousand from the beneficiaries for a few development projects in our village. As they wanted refunds, I requested them to give me two months’ time,” Debanshi said.

On Tuesday, a Trinamul booth committee president in Birbhum had “refunded” what villagers claimed was “cut money” of Rs 2.28 lakh. Trilochan Mukherjee said, however, that “he had not refunded cuts, simply distributed the wages of the workers”.