Kolkata/Salboni/IBNS: The agitation by the Kurmi community demanding ST status and inclusion of their language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution turned violent on Friday at Salboni in Jhargram district in West Bengal on Friday.

The situation came to such a situation that the police and the security of Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee had to fight a pitched battle with the violent Kurmi agitators to ward them off.

The agitators smashed the windscreens of several vehicles and resorted to pelting them with bricks.

Even the car of State Cabinet Minister for Self-Help Group & Self-Employment and Minister of State for Forests and Consumer Affairs Birbaha Hansda, who was a part of the ''Jono Sanyog Yatra'' (Mass Outreach Programme) of Banerjee, was not spared.

As the two-month-long ''Trinamoole Nabo Jowar'' programme by Banerjee, which was at Salboni, faced such a violent protest on its way by the Kurmis that he had to alight from his car and walked on foot to have a talk with the agitators and pacify them, but it yielded no result.

A few days back Banerjee during his mass outreach programme had given a patient hearing on the issues of the Kurmi community.

Even Bengal BJP leader Dilip Ghosh also faced the Kurmi's agitation a few days back.

The DGP has sought a report from the SP over the incident.

[With UNI inputs]