Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh’s convoy came under attack in north Bengal.
Kolkata:
Stones were hurled at the convoy of Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh while he was visiting north Bengal today, in which several vehicles were damaged. Mr Ghosh was unhurt but several motorcyclists in the convoy were injured, sources said.
This is the second attack on the Bengal BJP chief in the recent months. In July, he alleged that he was heckled today by the supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress workers and his vehicle was vandalised in Kolkata.
Today’s incident took place around 2 pm near Jaigaon in Alipurduar district. Mr Ghosh was there for a public meeting. A huge police force has been now deployed along the road from Jaigaon to Siliguri, where the state BJP chief is now headed.
Earlier, protestors had waved black flags when Mr Ghosh’s convoy was passing by.
The identity of the stone throwers is not clear yet. The BJP is blaming the Trinamool Congress, though some sources claim they were the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha faction backing the fugitive leader Bimal Gurung who recently switched allegiance from BJP to Trinamool.
Mr Dilip Ghosh said it seems the Trinamool is trying to create a situation so that it becomes necessary to impose Article 356 in Bengal.
The Trinamool Congress has claimed that is the BJP’s strategy to disturb Bengal and then demand imposition of President’s Rule.
The attack comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made an oblique reference to Bengal, where elections are due next year, warning that “the killing of BJP workers is not acceptable in a democracy” and those responsible would be punished by the people.
“Those unable to challenge us, some of those people have adopted the path of murder of our workers. In some parts of the country they think that by killing BJP workers they will fulfil their ambitions… By playing with death you cannot get a mandate – see the writing on the wall,” he said.
The Trinamool Congress has dismissed the allegations. Accusing PM Modi and Amit Shah of “raising the pitch” ahead of elections, Trinamool’s Sougata Roy said, “The BJP narrative on political violence is wrong. Trinamool does not believe in politics of violence”.
The BJP claims political violence even in case of death by suicide, Mr Roy said, adding, “Their policy is to throw mud and hope some of it will stick”.
