Kolkata, March 31 (IANS) A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate’s convoy was attacked on Tuesday allegedly by workers of Trinamool Congress in West Bengal’s Kesharibari area of the Cooch Behar Dakshin Assembly constituency.
It is alleged that a vehicle within the BJP candidate’s convoy was vandalised and a BJP worker sustained injuries.
The BJP worker is currently undergoing medical treatment at the local hospital.
Rathindranath Bose, the BJP candidate for Cooch Behar Dakshin seat, has vocally accused the Trinamool Congress of attacking him.
However, the Trinamool Congress leadership has denied the allegations, claiming that the incident was the result of spontaneous public outrage.
According to the police, the BJP candidate along with other party leaders was returning to Cooch Behar after concluding a poll campaign.
It is alleged that as they were passing through the Kesharibari area, the BJP candidate’s convoy was attacked.
Although the BJP candidate’s vehicle escaped unscathed, another car within the convoy was vandalised.
As a result of this attack, a BJP worker named Ajit Das sustained injuries.
He was subsequently taken to the Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Medical College and Hospital in Cooch Behar district for treatment.
Speaking about the incident on Tuesday, BJP candidate Rathindranath Bose said, “We were scheduled to visit a rural area this morning to hold a meeting with our party workers. Under these circumstances, we suddenly received information this morning that some external miscreants had torn down our party flags in that area. They had removed the flags and set them on fire. A large crowd had gathered there, but most of them dispersed. Nevertheless, a few people remained, and we sat down and held our meeting with them.”
The BJP candidate also said, “As we were making our return journey, we saw a group of frenzied Trinamool goons on the road advancing towards us. Armed with bamboo sticks with Trinamool flags, they launched an attack. After two or three of our vehicles had managed to pass through, they targeted one specific car, smashing all its windows. They struck two or three of our companions with their bamboo stick, some sustained injuries to the head, while others were struck on the shoulder.”
He also lashed out at the police, saying, “Not a single police officer was to be seen anywhere. We had explicitly informed the police beforehand that we would be visiting that location.”
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader Abdul Jalil Ahmed said, “The allegation itself is baseless. Given how names have been arbitrarily struck off the voter lists in villages and rural areas in the SIR process, such protests are bound to erupt wherever they go. Our party has no hand in this. The people’s frustration has simply crossed all limits.”
Ever since his announcement as the party candidate, BJP nominee Rathindranath Bose has been encountering public outrage across various localities.
A few days ago, when he went to Ward number 3 of Cooch Behar town for election campaigning, he was cornered by protesters led by a Trinamool Councilor, who chanted ‘go back’ slogans.
Subsequently, on Monday in Ghugumari of Cooch Behar, the BJP candidate’s vehicle was intercepted.
Protesters once again raised ‘go back’ slogans and waved black flags. On Tuesday, the BJP candidate’s convoy itself came under attack.
–IANS
sch/khz