Mamata Banerjee Ends Rally Over BJP Noise Disruption

In Bhabanipur, a key constituency in Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee abruptly ended her speech at a public rally on Saturday, citing deliberate noise from a nearby Bharatiya Janata Party event as the cause of the disruption. The incident, which unfolded just days before polling on April 29, escalated into a tense standoff between supporters of Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and the BJP, prompting security forces to intervene and prevent further unrest.

The rally, held on Chakraberia Road near the Swaminarayan temple, drew a large crowd as Banerjee campaigned in her longtime stronghold. She had secured permission from the Election Commission for the event but accused the BJP of using high-volume loudspeakers from their gathering, located about 100 meters away, to drown out her address. "They are trying to deliberately engage in a quarrel. They are shouting in the vicinity so that I can't hold the meeting," Banerjee said, expressing frustration over what she described as an attempt to intimidate and humiliate her. Visibly disturbed, she apologized to supporters, promised to reschedule the rally for Monday, and urged them to vote for her in protest before...