Contai/Kalyani: A BJP worker’s father died while trying to defend his son during an attack by suspected Trinamool supporters on their home at Patashpur in East Midnapore, while a party booth president had his wrist hacked off in Nadia’s Chakdah. Both Patashpur and Chakdah are tense. Amulya Mondal (80) was pushed to the ground when suspected TMC supporters attacked his son Shankar, a BJP worker, at their Gopalpur home. The senior citizen was pronounced brought dead at the local hospital. His family alleged that one Kinkar Hazra had shoved Amulya that led to his death.
Shankar had on January 1 organised a meeting of BJP supporters in Gopalpur. Trinamool organised a meeting the next day. BJP’s Contai leader Anup Kumar Chakraborty blamed Trinamool for Amulya’s death. Patashpur’s Trinamoool leader Piyush Panda, however, said the old man had been bedridden and died much before the party meeting. In Chakdah’s Shimurali area, BJP booth president Ratan Barman (35) was attacked in front of his home. He is also associated with the fish trade and doubles as a pawn broker.
Barman was returning home, which is around 100 yards from the market. “He was opening the gate when three persons attacked him from behind,” his wife Tithi said. “He was hit on the head and then randomly with a sharp weapon. They tried to gag him and poke fingers into his eyes. He collapsed. The attackers then hacked off his right wrist,” Tithi added.
BJP’s Ranaghat MP Jagannath Sarkar, who visited Barman in hospital, blamed Trinamool for the attack. Trinamool leaders refuted the charge. Police said an investigation was on, but no complaint had been had received. BJP blocked a local road in protest against the attack.
Violence mars Suvendu’s rally
Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari’s first public rally in Nandigram after defecting to BJP was marred by violence after party supporters travelling in a bus from Sonachura were attacked nearly a km from Nandigram. The incident prompted Suvendu to blame the attack on “jihadis” and warn that the “implications will not be good”. Trinamool Congress chose not to respond but some members blamed it on infighting between Suvendu supporters and those against him. All 15 BJP supporters injured in the attack were treated at a hospital. The bus was vandalised.
“I’d been involved in mass movements before 2011 and fought with CPM harmads (marauders). I have a message for the jihadis who attacked the bus - I will not tolerate this kind of attack,” said Suvendu. The attack prompted BJP supporters to protest in front of Nandigram police station. Suvendu demanded immediate arrest of the culprits, failing which he would launch an agitation and organise a rally in Nandigram. During the attack, Suvendu was attending a roadshow, organised by the local Bajrang Dal committee. BJP alleged women and kids too were beaten up by TMC supporters. TMC’s Md Sufian said: “None in Trinamool was involved in this. We don’t know anything about it.”
