JMM, Trinamool workers clash in Ranchi
By IANSMonday, January 31, 2011
RANCHI - The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Trinamool Congress workers clashed at Ranchi airport Monday as Rajya Sabha member K.D Singh, who switched his loyalties from the JMM to the Mamata Banerjee-led party, arrived in the city.
Singh, a Chandigarh-based businessman, was elected to the upper house of parliament last year on the JMM ticket, but three months later he joined the Trinamool. He was scheduled to open a party office here.
Hundreds of Trinamool workers went with a band in tow to welcome Singh at Birsa Munda Airport, while hundreds of JMM workers carrying black flags also gathered at the airport and started shouting slogans against Singh.
The rival slogan-slouting soon turned ugly and the JMM workers chased away the Trinamool activists. They also resorted to vandalism, breaking panes of the parked vehicles.
“K.D.Singh has deceived people of the state. He became a Rajya Sabha member on our party ticket and later joined the Trinamool. He should resign from the house. Our party workers are agitated over Singh’s move,” Supriyo Bhattacharaya, a JMM central committee member, told reporters.
The JMM had faced severe criticism when it nominated Singh in the poll, its opponents charging it with selling the ticket to him.
