Bishnu Chowdhury was burnt all over with cigarette butts, and TMC was inscribed on his chest.

In West Bengal, a BJP worker was branded with burning cigarette butts - allegedly by workers on the ruling Trinamool Congress - for attending BJP chief Amit Shah's rally last Sunday.Bishnu Chowdhury, a resident of Bansberia, Hooghly district, claimed that three days after the rally, Trinamool supporters dragged him out of his house, took him to a local club, beat him up and demanded that he join the Trinamool Congress.When he refused to do so, he was burnt all over his body with cigarette butts, said Mr Chowdhury. Finally, the Trinamool supporters seared the letters TMC on his chest with cigarette butts.Mr Chowdhury said he has sent a complaint to the police by registered post because he was too scared to go to the police station himself. A complaint has also been sent to the National Human Rights Commission.Local Trinamool leaders have denied that any of the party workers were involved. Tapan Dasgupta, the party's district president, Hooghly, said the whole matter was a "drama" staged by the BJP.The incident has been condemned by opposition parties and civil society.The Trinamool Congress and the BJP have been locked in a battle for political space in Bengal. In the districts, the workers of the two parties have clashed repeatedly over the last two months, in which several people have died so far.

When the BJP wanted to hold Mr Shah's rally in Kolkata's Victoria House, the state police had refused permission.The rally was held finally after the intervention of the Calcutta High Court, where Mr Shah openly challenged the Mamata Banerjee government, saying he had come to oust the Trinamool from the state.