Bengal BJP chief’s car attacked, FIR lodged

Kolkata : West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh’s vehicle was attacked by miscreants in Bankura district on Wednesday, police said on Thursday, adding that an FIR in the case has been lodged.

Ghosh’s car was allegedly attacked by miscreants when he was returning to his hotel in Khatra after having dinner at a party worker’s house in Jaldoba.

Though the leader was unharmed in the attack, some party workers accompanying him were allegedly beaten up and sustained injuries. The back screen of Ghosh’s car was damaged by stone pelting, a BJP leader said.

“An FIR has been lodged in the case on the basis of the complaints received from Ghosh and local BJP unit leader Mrinmoy Mahato. Police is talking to the locals and eyewitnesses to trace the accused,” an officer from Khatra police station said.

In his complaint, Mahato said six known locals and a few unidentified miscreants allegedly tried to heckle Ghosh and vandalised his car at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday when they were leaving from a party worker’s house.

“They also attacked me and some of the fellow party workers with iron rods and threw stones and bricks at us when we tried to protect Ghosh. I was severely injured in the incident,” he said.

Meanwhile, the car of another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Samik Bhattacharya, a former MLA, was also attacked by miscreants on Wednesday afternoon while he was on his way to attend a meeting in Nadia district’s Chakdah.

BJP National General Secretary P. Murlidhar Rao on Thursday strongly condemned the incident and accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of orchestrating the attacks and also accused state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of not taking any action against the offenders.

“Our party President from Bengal was attacked by goons of Trinamool Congress yesterday (Wednesday). Another leader Shamik Bhattacharya’s vehicle was vandalised by state ruling party workers in Chakdah on the same day. BJYM Tripura President Tinku Roy was also attacked by Trinamool workers in that state. Three such incidents in one day… One must understand the gravity of the situation,” Rao, also the in-charge of the Bharatiya Janata Yuba Morcha (BJYM) said here.

“The Bengal Chief Minister and party supremo never condemned such incidents and never took action against the offenders. It is not just the BJP but there have been constant attacks on other opposition parties in Bengal,” he alleged.

Published on Aug 9, 2018 at 18:40 IST

IANS