KOLKATA: The TMC Friday hit out at the union home ministry for summoning West Bengal chief secretary and police chief over the attack on BJP president J P Nadda's convoy, and accused the saffron party of trying to create a situation where the Centre can interfere in matters related to states.
Senior TMC MPs Saugata Roy and Kalyan Banerjee alleged that Nadda's convoy had "convicted criminals and goons" who carried weapons with the malafide intention of instigating violence.
"What the central government is doing by sending a letter (seeking report) from the state government is unconstitutional. The MHA summoning the chief secretary and DGP is unacceptable.
"The BJP and the central government are trying to create a situation where they can interfere with the federal structure," Banerjee told a press conference.
Provocative speeches by BJP state president Dilip Ghosh are leading to a "vicious" situation, he said, and claimed that Nadda was accompanied by "convicted criminals and armed men belonging to the BJP".
Nadda's cavalcade was on Thursday attacked by alleged TMC supporters, who threw stones and rained lathi blows on vehicles and BJP workers accompanying him.
Several BJP leaders including general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya were injured in the attack.
The Union Home Ministry has summoned West Bengal's chief secretary and police chief on December 14 for an explanation on the law and order situation in the state, following Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's report on the attack on Nadda's convoy.