SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad , Dec 4: At least 15 persons including women were injured in a clash between activists of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Marxists Coordination Committee (MCC) of Arup Chatterjee for supremacy in Dahibari Colliery of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) under Panchet police station, around 49 km away from district headquarters on Saturday afternoon.
The clash took place at Kalyani Chowk where JMM activists had been staging dharna for the last one month in support of their demand. Today, MCC workers under leadership former MLA Arup Chatterjee, took out a rally for colliery in process. JMM supporters stopped them from going through the route where they were staging dharna.
First they engaged in heated arguments and after that supporters of both the parties used lathi, brick batting, sharp weapons and bow- arrows against each- other in which 20 persons were injured. Majority of injured persons reportedly belonged to MCC who had to flee from the spot after the clash.
Interestingly district administration had deployed Kaliyasol circle officer (CO) Diwakar Dubey as the magistrate in the colliery area to check any untoward incident.
However, when the situation went beyond control, the force of three police stations; Galfarwadi, Chirkunda and Panchet were called to tackle the situation.
No one was arrested from either side in the incident. In the evening, leaders of JMM and MCC reached Panchet police station to lodge an FIR.
JMM leader Bodi Hansda blamed MCC leader and former MLA Arup Chatterjee for the incident. “Families are fighting for their rights but Arup Chatterjee is trying to enrol outsiders in the outsourcing company,” he said.
On the other hand, Arup Chatterjee held police responsible for the bloody clash.
“ MCC activists were holding peaceful agitation when JMM supporters attacked them with sharp weapons but police remained mute spectators on the spot. Similar clashe had also occurred last month but police did not take action,” he said.
Kaliyasol CO Diwakar Dubey said that legal action will be taken against the leaders after lodging an FIR.
