Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar's convoy attacked in Bengal's Nabadwip

Kolkata, Nov 5 (IANS) The convoy of Union Minister of State for Education and former state president of the BJP in West Bengal, Sukanta Majumdar, was allegedly attacked by the Trinamool Congress activists at Nabadwip in Nadia district of West Bengal on Wednesday night.

Majumdar had attended a number of party programmes in Nadia district earlier in the day.

His convoy was reportedly caught amid clashes between Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters while he was returning from the district on Wednesday night, and in the ensuing chaos, one of the vehicles in his convoy was allegedly attacked by ruling party activists.

Majumdar claimed the attack on his convoy was totally unprovoked and was carried out by some Trinamool Congress leaders and activists, all of whom were in an inebriated state.

He also alleged that several BJP activists were severely beaten up by ruling party-backed goons, with some sustaining serious injuries.

At the time of filing this report, Majumdar's convoy had left the spot.

The local Trinamool Congress leadership, however, denied the allegations.

According to the chairman of the Trinamool Congress-run Nabadwip Municipality, Biman Saha, the tension broke out at the main bus stand in Nabadwip after BJP supporters allegedly attacked a local office of the Trinamool Congress' trade union wing, INTTUC.

He claimed that when INTTUC supporters were protesting near the bus stand, they were again attacked by local BJP supporters, leading to scuffles between the two groups.

In recent months, there have been several incidents of attacks on convoys of BJP leaders in West Bengal. Last month, the vehicle of BJP Lok Sabha member from Maldaha (Uttar) constituency in Malda district, Khagen Murmu, was attacked in Jalpaiguri district allegedly by Trinamool Congress activists. Murmu was severely injured in that attack and is still undergoing treatment.

Similarly, in October, the convoy of BJP's Darjeeling MP Raju Bista was allegedly attacked by Trinamool Congress activists in the Sukhia Pokhari area of Darjeeling district.

--IANS

src/pgh