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Mamata Banerjee stable; senior officials visit area where Bengal CM was allegedly attacked

PTI

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is undergoing treatment at a state-run hospital here following the alleged attack on her in Nandigram is "stable" now, and doctors are planning to conduct a series of medical tests, including a CT scan, to assess the degree of her injury, sources at the facility said on Thursday.

Preliminary medical tests conducted on Banerjee late on Wednesday night detected severe bone injuries in her left ankle and foot, and injuries in her right shoulder, forearm and neck, they said.

"A temporary plaster was done on her left ankle and she will undergo several blood tests this morning. Her ECG report was fine."

"Banerjee is stable now. She will be under observation for the next 48 hours. A CT scan may be conducted during the day. We will again examine her and decide on our next course of treatment. Her fever subsided," a doctor of the SSKM Hospital told PTI.

The state government constituted a nine-member team to treat Banerjee, and doctors conducted an x-ray on the chief minister as soon as she was taken to the hospital from Nandigram on Wednesday evening.

Banerjee sustained injuries on her left leg and waist as she fell on the ground after she was allegedly pushed by unknown miscreants while campaigning for assembly elections in Nandigram.

She is undergoing treatment at the 12.5 special cabin of Woodburn Block of the SSKM Hospital.

The TMC supremo had on Wednesday filed her nomination to contest the ensuing assembly elections from Nandigram seat.

Meanwhile, Senior district officials on Thursday morning visited the area where Banerjee was allegedly attacked.

Purba Medinipur District Magistrate Vibhu Goel, Superintendent of Police Praween Prakash and other officers visited the Birulia Bazar area to inquire about the incident, officials said.

The officers spoke to eye-witnesses, besides looking for any CCTV installed in the area to ascertain the exact sequence of events, they said.

"We are talking to people who were present here during the incident. We have not got hold of any clear footage of that moment till now," the district magistrate said.

"Multiple people are giving multiple versions of the incident. We are trying to listen to those who were present at that moment, and then file our report to the Election Commission," he added.

The district administration may file a report to Election Commission by the second half of the day, sources said.

"We are also looking for anyone who has managed to record the incident on his or her mobile phone at that time," a senior police officer said.

Trinamool Congress and BJP supporters got engaged in a war of words over the attack on Banerjee as the officials were visiting the Birulia Bazar area.

The TMC supporters alleged that the "attack was a pre-planned conspiracy", while the BJP workers termed it a lie.

Banerjee alleged on Wednesday evening that she was attacked by four-five men who pushed her, besides banging on her the door of her car, injuring her left leg, waist, shoulder and neck as she fell on the ground.

Soon after the alleged incident, the Election Commission sought a report on the matter from Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay.

"This is a serious matter which needed to be investigated. We are constantly keeping a tab on the situation. We have sought a report from the state police and administration. The report must be sent quickly," a senior official at the CEO said.

A preliminary report was sent to the EC, New Delhi on Wednesday night, he said.

No official complaint was lodged by the chief minister till Thursday morning, sources said.

The chief minister at present is undergoing treatment at the city-based state-run SSKM hospital.

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