A 12-hour bandh called by the BJP at Matigara, under Siliguri Police Commissionerate today in protest against attacks on party workers, evoked a mixed response, while several BJP activists blocked national highway demanding stern action against attackers.

The police have arrested two persons for alleged attacks on BJP workers and produced them before the court today. They have been identified as Nitesh Singh and Abdul Ali.

Although the Lok Sabha polls ended peacefully, post-poll violence broke out at Matigara area yesterday night and more than 10 BJP supporters, including women were seriously injured.

Trouble broke out following Jai Shri Ram slogans and a group of miscreants attacked the house of Nandkishore Thakur, a booth president of BJP, last night. Trinamul Congress backed miscreants allegedly attacked them with sharp weapons.

BJP’s Siliguri district organisational president and other leaders staged agitation in front of Matigara police station last night and called a 12-hour bandh in protest.

Traffic came to a halt for sometime after BJP workers today blocked the national highway by burning tyres. A large contingent of police force was deployed to avoid further post-poll violence. Local markets were totally due to the 12-hour bandh.

The BJP Siliguri district president, Arun Mandal, said, “A group of miscreants threatened my party workers with dire consequences as they were returning raising slogans after the end of polls. Even a group of miscreants threatened a group of women party workers for raising the Jai Shri Ram slogan. TMC-backed miscreants want to make the area like Sandeshkhali.”

“We will not tolerate this political terrorism. We will not allow our region to become another Sandeshkhali,” BJP candidate Raju Bista said.

According to Mr Bista, BJP workers and their family members, including our Kholai Baktari booth president Nandkishore Thakur have been grievously injured in a brutal violence, orchestrated by TMC goon Kailash Mandal and his gang.

“Kaliash Mandal had been threatening Nandakishore Thakur, other BJP workers and their family members for the past two weeks, in order to prevent them from voting for the BJP. Yesterday, Kailash Mandal called Nandakishore and threatened him with dire consequences,” Mr Bista said.

Though BJP leaders had gone to the Matigara police station and met IC Arindam Bhattacharya and informed him about the threats in writing, the police did not act on their complaint in an appropriate time, alleged the incumbent MP.