KOLKATA: Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari’s convoy was allegedly attacked by the Trinamool Congress workers and supporters in Cooch Behar in north Bengal on Tuesday.
Adhikari’s car was vandalised and the glass of a police vehicle in the convoy was broken, local witnesses said. So far, the police have arrested one person in this incident.
Adhikari was scheduled to meet the Superintendent of Police of Cooch Behar on Tuesday, regarding the alleged attack on BJP MLAs.
The BJP had planned to gherao the office of the Superintendent of Police of Cooch Behar on Tuesday. Adhikari went to Cooch Behar to join the programme.
The situation changed as soon as his convoy reached Khagrabari Chowpati at around 12.35 pm. Several people had already gathered in that area, carrying Trinamool Congress flags. A few also had black flags in their hands.
As soon as Adikari's convoy reached Khagrabari Chowpati, they started shouting ‘Go back’ slogans. It is alleged that shoes were also thrown at Adhikari’s car from that gathering. The car's window was broken with a stick. However, it is yet to be known if anyone was injured in the attack.
Recently, a political slugfest erupted in West Bengal politics over allegations of attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in other states on suspicion of being Bangladeshis.
The Trinamool Congress Chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has alleged that Bengali-speaking people from West Bengal being ‘harassed’, ‘tortured’ and ‘attacked’ for speaking Bengali in various BJP-ruled states.
She has also directed her party to strengthen the movement against the BJP on this issue. The Trinamool Congress leadership in Cooch Behar claimed that they were holding a ‘language movement’ in different parts of the district on Tuesday.
Simultaneously, they called for a programme in 19 places in Cooch Behar, including Khagrabari, to counter Adhikari’s SP office gherao movement.
Adhikari said, “The attack was made to kill me. SP Dyutiman Bhattacharya and Udayan Guha (North Bengal Development Minister) followed the instruction of Bhaipo Abhishek Banerjee and planned the conspiracy.”
Guha has hit back against Adhikari and the BJP leadership. He said, “The BJP is against the Bengali language. Wherever they go, there will be protests.”
However, he did not say anything about the vandalism of Adhikari’s car in the convoy.