KOLKATA: Hours after BJP national president J P Nadda's convoy came under attack in West Bengal''s South 24 Parganas, the TMC on Thursday claimed that his party has information that saffron camp activists had "instigated" people to create unrest.
Senior TMC leader Subrata Mukherjee sought to know if it was an attempt by the BJP to divert attention from "the historic launch" of the ruling party''s report card.
"Mr J P Nadda has alleged that he was attacked. But we have information that provocation came from him, his own party men... It is necessary to find out if the whole episode was planned by the BJP," the state panchayat minister told reporters at Trinamool Bhavan.
Urging TMC activists to "avoid stepping into their (BJP''s) trap despite provocation, Mukherjee said, "We would like to ask our men to keep distance from them."
"Was the alleged attack planned to overshadow today''s event, arranged to highlight the achievements of the Mamata Banerjee government?" he said.
Stones were hurled at Nadda''s convoy on Thursday morning, when he was on his way to Diamond Harbour from here, with the saffron party claiming that TMC supporters carried out the attack.
Several BJP leaders including its Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya sustained injuries, sources in the saffron party said.
The West Bengal Police, in a tweet, insisted that the situation was peaceful.
"Shri JP Nadda, National President, BJP reached safely at the venue, Diamond Harbour, South 24 Pgs. Nothing happened to his convoy. Few bystanders at Debipur, Falta PS, Diamond Harbour PD, sporadically and suddenly threw stones towards vehicles trailing long behind his convoy.
"Everyone is safe and situation is peaceful. Matter is being investigated to find out actual happenings," the tweet added.