TMC MP from Arambagh on Monday alleged that BJP supporters vandalised her car at Goghat in Hooghly district while she was on her way to a rally of party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee during the final phase of campaigning.
Rejecting the allegation, the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed the MP was staging a “drama” and alleged that workers of the Trinamool Congress had attacked BJP supporters instead.
An official from the Election Commission of India said a report has been sought on the incident, adding that central forces were deployed at the spot.
In a Facebook Live video, a visibly emotional Bag claimed that miscreants, allegedly backed by the BJP, hurled stones at her vehicle near a BJP candidate’s election office, shattering its window panes.
Referring to herself as a Dalit woman, the Arambag MP said she was on her way to the meeting of Abhishek Banerjee "when some lathi-wielding BJP workers sitting before the office of the BJP candidate Prashanta Digar blocked the way and threw stones at our vehicle".
Bag said she was sitting on the front seat of the MUV with some of her party workers in the back seats.
Asking the Election Commission to "take responsibility", she accused the BJP of carrying out an unprovoked attack on TMC workers and even a woman MP.
"The BJP talks high about the safety of women, but see how they treat a woman MP, a Dalit woman from the Bagdi community. CEO Manoj Agarwal, in a recent visit, alleged that TMC workers are terrorising people in the area. But Mr Agarwal, please check the facts," she said.
Bag, claiming she was covered with broken glass shreds, went to the local health centre and was wheeled inside by the medical staff.
The TMC shared her video on its social media page, saying: "The attack on a woman Dalit MP by BJP goons shows the true nature of the fascist party.
"TMC will not take this lying down, and the people of Bengal will respond to the attack on a woman MLA by BJP hooligans in the votes," party state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said.
The CEO official said, "We have sought the CCTV report. We are also checking the Facebook Live done by the MP."
BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar claimed there was no attack on Bag by the saffron party, and instead, TMC supporters charged towards BJP activists in the office and injured several of them.
"To divert attention, Bag is now staging a drama," Sarkar said.
The former BJP president of the Arambagh unit, Biman Ghosh, too alleged that BJP workers were attacked during a campaign in support of party candidate Prashant Digar.
“While campaigning was underway, some miscreants led by Goghat Trinamool leader Sanjay Khan attacked our workers with sticks, bricks, rods and firearms. Nearly 50 people have been injured, and 20 were admitted to a hospital. Our candidate’s vehicle was also vandalised. Mitali Bag is staging a drama to suppress the incident,” Ghosh claimed.
Khan dismissed the allegations and claimed that the BJP workers entered the locality and started hurling bombs targeting the residents, who belong to a minority community.
(WIth inputs from PTI)