BJP Attacks WB Minister’s House in Kolkata, TMC Retaliates
He has been asked to explain why the central forces were not visible at the scene.
Kolkata: Shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally on Saturday, West Bengal women and child development minister Shashi Panja’s residence in northern parts of the city came under the attack of BJP workers, leading to a clash with Trinamul Congress workers that left several from both sides and a cop injured.
The Election Commission has sought a report from Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar within 48 hours about the broad daylight incident. He has been asked to explain why the central forces were not visible at the scene.
The attack happened in the afternoon when, the TMC alleged, some BJP workers, while traveling in buses to the rally venue at Brigade Parade Ground, stopped, removed posters in front of Dr Panja’s residence on Chittaranjan Avenue in Girish Park and pelted stones at her address.
The window panes on the first floor of the multi-storeyed house were smashed. TMC workers instantly retaliated by hurling bricks on the attackers and the BJP buses passing through the road. The BJP however claimed that the TMC workers first pelted stones on the buses which were ferrying their supporters to the rally.
When the street fight was underway, Officer-in-Charge of Bow Bazar police station Bappaditya Naskar was injured along with at least five TMC workers and some BJP workers including Tamaghna Ghosh in the clash. Dr Panja later said the attack was aimed to kill her.
She also informed that she would lodge an FIR with the police against the BJP workers. Union minister Sukanta Majumdar said that his party has identified some TMC workers from photos about their attack. TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee also condemned the attack on Dr Panja's house.
