Attack on Nisith Pramanik convoy: The convoy of Union minister Nisith Pramanik was attacked on Saturday allegedly by supporters of the Trinamool Congress in the Cooch area of Behar district in West Bengal. However, the TMC dismissed these accusations. The incident occurred in the Sahibganj area when Pramanik attempted to visit the Block Development Office where scrutinising nomination papers for the upcoming panchayat polls was going on.
‘BJP candidates’ were beaten in front of police’
Pramanik said he was attacked with weapons and BJP candidates for the upcoming panchayat polls were prevented from entering the BDO office for scrutiny of their nomination papers. "The documents of BJP candidates were snatched and they were beaten in front of the police," said Pramanik.
The minister claimed that he went there following reports of TMC activists "blocking the road to the BDO office and engaging in malpractices".
The union minister also claimed that BJP workers were prevented from entering the BDO office, citing Section 144 of CrPC, while "TMC activists were allowed to assemble outside" the office premises. "When I attempted to visit the BDO office, my convoy was pelted with stones. Bombs were hurled at us. TMC activists beat up our party workers, and papers belonging to our candidates were destroyed. It is shameful that the police stood by as mere spectators," Pramanik alleged.
‘BJP’s women workers molested’
The BJP MP also alleged that the "TMC goons" molested women workers of the BJP inside the BDO office. He added that several BJP candidates were severely injured and have been hospitalised. “Despite the imposition of section 144, the WB police has let the TMC goons unleash violence on the @BJP4Bengal candidates, Women Karyakartas were molested inside the Sahebganj BD office. Many candidates are serverly injured & have been hospitalised,” he said in a tweet.
"The West Bengal police is actively involved in abetment of violence by the TMC goons. There is no law and order for TMC. This is a mockery of democracy. Shame !" he added.
He insisted that the scrutiny of nomination papers should be conducted in the presence of central forces to ensure transparency in the process. Television footage showed clashes between activists of both parties, with crude bombs being thrown during the altercation.
TMC dismisses allegations
However, the TMC termed these allegations as "baseless". Reacting to the incident, TMC leader and North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha accused the BJP of "instigating its workers to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the state".
"The BJP is attempting to disturb the upcoming polls by creating unrest. The union minister, accompanied by central forces, tried to disrupt the scrutiny process. They are using central forces to spread fear," he claimed.
BJP condemns attack
Several BJP leaders have condemned the attack on Pramanik, with state party chief Sukanta Majumdar calling the incident "shameful". “Shame that MoS Home @NisithPramanik stopped and his convoy was attacked. If this is the behaviour with a union MoS, imagine how worse it would be with common people,” he tweeted.
Sukanta alleged that a bomb was also hurled at Pramanik's car and that TMC minister "Udayan Guha was standing there with his goons, with 1,000 to 1,5000 people". "A bomb was hurled at the car of Nisith Pramanik, Police is literally helpless. Udayan Guha is standing there with his goons, with 1000-1500 people. They are snatching Form B from the hands of our workers. Election Commission & State Administration are sitting silently. If a minister can be attacked like that, we can imagine what the situation in West Bengal must be. He slammed TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and asked, "Is Mamata Banerjee running the state or doing drama?"
Widespread violence over the filing of nominations for the upcoming panchayat polls has left five people dead and several injured in various parts of the state. Polling for nearly 75,000 seats in the three-tier Panchayati Raj system will be held on July 8.
(With PTI inputs)
