"We are taking strong action against everyone involved in the incident at Tikiapara, Howrah, today. The perpetrators will be identified and brought to justice. No transgression of the law anywhere will be tolerated," read a tweet by the police on Tuesday.

Two policemen were injured after a mob targeted police personnel who were trying to enforce social distancing in Howrah, near Kolkata. A huge police team has been sent to the area to restore order.

The attack took place at Tikiapara as the policemen were trying to disperse crowds at a roadside illegal market that was taking advantage of the lockdown situation.

The angry crowd then threw stones at the police and chased them. The police had to flee for shelter into the Tikiapara police outpost. But the mob stoned the police outpost too. At least two police vehicles were ransacked.

Howrah is a hotspot district for COVID-19, where 79 of the state's 697 cases were reported.

Another incident of a skirmish between police and a motorcycle borne youth was reported from Behala, in the the southern part of Kolkata. The motorcyclist reportedly tried to assault the police. He was arrested.

Rajeev Banerjee, the minister in the Mamata Banerjee's government, who represents Howrah in the state assembly, said the incident was most unfortunate and they would be looking into what triggered the mob violence.

BJP's Rahul Sinha said this was yet another example of the Mamta Banerjee government's failure to enforce the lockdown.

Bengal is already under the scanner of the Union home ministry for violation and dilution of the lock down. Two Central teams are going to locations in hotspot districts, including Howrah, to examine how strongly the lockdown is being enforced.

Recently an inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) visited Kolkata and found discrepancies in the data about deceased Covid-19 patients compiled by an Audit Committee formed by the state government.Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, in a letter to West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha said that the state administration needs to cooperate with the Centre in the fight against Covid-19. In his response, Sinha claimed that the IMCT was provided with all support for its survey of Kolkata and Jalpaiguri.In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the IMCT arrived sooner without enough prior intimation. She also questioned why West Bengal was chosen for the IMCT's assessment.