Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik’s convoy was attacked on Saturday allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters in Dinhata city of West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district, reported PTI.
The Trinamool Congress, however, has denied the allegations.
The incident took place within a week after Trinamool Congress workers staged a daylong sit-in near the Pramanik’s home in Bhetaguri town in Cooch Behar, seeking justice for an “innocent Rajbanshi youth who was branded as cattle smuggler and shot dead” by a Border Security Force official.
On Saturday, Pramanik, who is also the minister of state for youth affairs and sports, claimed that shots were also fired and bombs hurled at his convoy.
“The entire incident happened in front of the police, and they were just mute spectators,” he alleged.
The attack took place when the minister was on his way to meet Bharatiya Janata Party workers at a programme.
“If a minister is not safe, you can imagine the plight of the common man,” Pramanik said, reported NDTV. “The incident shows the state of democracy in Bengal.”
As Pramanik was on his, Trinamool Congress supporters showed black flags to him, resulting in clashes with the BJP supporters.
Visuals of the incident showed activists of both parties clashing with the police baton-charging them to control the situation.
BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said the governor should take steps for impose Article 355 of the Constitution in the state. The Article refers to the duty of the Union to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbance.
On the allegation, Trinamool Congress state General Secretary Kunal Ghosh accused the Bengal BJP leadership of instigating its workers to “disrupt the peaceful atmosphere” of the state.
“The BJP workers ransacked the TMC party office in Dinhata and attacked our workers,” he claimed. “The people in that area are angry over the BSF’s killing of a Rajbanshi youth last year. Pramanik is a minister of that department,”
Pramanik’s convoy was attacked in November too in the Sitai area of Cooch Behar, and at that time, the BJP had alleged that “goons associated with the TMC were involved” in the incident.
The ruling party in the state had called the charges baseless at that time too.
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