'Gundaraj' in Bengal, says Nadda after convoy attacked in Mamata's nephew's constituency

CM Mamata Banerjee said police will investigate to find out what exactly happened. "They (the BJP) kept the state government in the dark about their movement and political programme," she said.
A vehicle of BJP chief JP Nadda's convoy damaged after stone-pelting by alleged TMC activists at Sirakal near Diamond Harbour, in South 24 Pargana, Bengal. (Photo | PTI)
A vehicle of BJP chief JP Nadda's convoy damaged after stone-pelting by alleged TMC activists at Sirakal near Diamond Harbour, in South 24 Pargana, Bengal. (Photo | PTI)

KOLKATA: BJP national president JP Nadda’s convoy was intercepted and attacked with bricks and empty soft drink bottles when he was going to Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district, the Lok Sabha constituency of Bengal Chief Minister’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee. The attacks on Nadda’s car and vehicles of other BJP functionaries, both central and state, were allegedly carried out by Trinamool Congress supporters. Nadda was unhurt because of his bullet-proof vehicle.

Windshields of the vehicles of BJP’s Bengal observer Kailash Vijayvargiya and state president Dilip Ghosh were smashed in the attack. Vijayvargiya received injuries on his left forearm and a BJP worker’s head was fractured in the attack. At least 15 vehicles of BJP leaders and security personnel were damaged in the attack.

The BJP sought governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s intervention and he summoned the chief secretary and director general of police to Raj Bhavan. The Union Home Ministry also sought a report from the state government.

Reacting to the attack on his convoy, Nadda said it reflected the lawlessness in Bengal. "Bengal is witnessing gundaraj. When I say it, I mean it. West Bengal has become a state of lawlessness and intolerance. The people of Bengal will give a befitting reply in the 2021 Assembly elections," he said while addressing party workers in Diamond Harbour.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said police will investigate to find out what exactly happened. "They (the BJP) kept the state government in the dark about their movement and political programme. There was an event of our party at Shirakol which was on the route of their movement. I instructed to suspend the event. They travelled to Diamond Harbour with a convoy of 50 vehicles. I don’t know whether the damage of the cars was because of collisions between their own vehicles. I asked the police to investigate it," she said, while addressing farmers who participated in a sit-in demonstration on Mayo Road in Kolkata protesting against the farm bills.

Mamata’s nephew Abhishek, however, described the attack on Nadda’s convoy as a reflection of the common people’s anger against the BJP and said TMC supporters were not involved in it.

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya condemned the attack. ‘’Nadda is the president of a political party and he has the right to visit any state. The TMC has brought the BJP to Bengal and now they are acting to bring the political party into the limelight,’’ he said.

CPI(M) politburo member Mohammad Selim said any attack is condemnable. "It appears the incident is stage-managed. It is the TMC which brought the BJP to Bengal. It is difficult to understand who is implementing whose script," he said.  

Taking to Twitter, the Bengal governor said, ‘’Concerned at alarming reports of anarchy and lawlessness @MamataOfficial indicating ruling party harmads on rampage at BJP President Convoy and political police @WBPolice in support. This happening inspite of my alerts to CS & DGP early morning indicated collapse of law & order.’’

Nadda, who arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday, left the city on Thursday morning to take up an outreach campaign in Diamond Harbour under the banner of Aar Noy Onnay (no more injustice) showcasing the BJP-led central government’s success and the TMC-led state government’s failure.

The convoy of the BJP president was intercepted at several points on a 10 km stretch in South 24-Parganas district and the attack took place at Falta. Adequate police arrangements were not visible on the route through which Nadda was scheduled to travel.

The BJP’s state president Dilip Ghosh on Thursday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah mentioning poor security arrangements by the state government for Nadda after he was shown black flags in Kolkata yesterday.

"The attack reflects the lawlessness of the state. It was a targeted attack. It is killing of democracy. At many places, attacks took place in front of policemen. The attackers were hooligans and followers of the CM’s nephew. The Centre will conduct a probe into the incident. The people of Bengal will give a befitting reply in the upcoming elections," said Vijayvargiya.

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