Central forces look on in viral Bengal violence video. Men doing the hitting are from the BJP

On April 29, the second day of polling in West Bengal, a viral video from the state showed a group of men assaulting others in a narrow lane. Strikingly, Central forces patrolling the lane watched the violence, without intervening.

Media reports described it as a clash between workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress.

The party affiliation of the assailants, who were not stopped by the Central paramilitary forces as they thrashed others, was not immediately clear. But Scroll has confirmed that at least two of them were from the BJP.

One of them is Manash Dey, the bespectacled man who could be seen hitting a man in a blue T-shirt in the video around the four-second mark. In September 2025, the BJP appointed him the vice-president of the Barrackpore organisational committee.

Dey told Scroll that he was trying to stop the workers of the “other” party from “disturbing” the polling.

#WATCH | North 24 Parganas, West Bengal: Violent clash broke out between TMC and BJP workers at Booth Number 120, Arabinda Rally in North 24 Parganas as voting for the second and last phase of West Bengal elections is over.

(Note: Strong language) pic.twitter.com/KPVDf5ZACl— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2026

A brawl on polling day

The violence unfolded near polling station 120 in Noapara Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas...

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