Agartala, Nov. 2: Congress MLA Subal Bhowmik was attacked this morning allegedly by armed CPM cadres at Kaladhepa, prompting the Opposition party to call a 12-hour Sabroom bandh tomorrow.

Bhowmik visited the 15 tribal families who had to face police atrocities allegedly at the behest of the CPM on Saturday.

The MLA escaped unhurt though nine Congress workers of Sabroom accompanying him sustained minor injuries.

Describing the bandh called by the Congress as an “attempt to derail development work in the state”, spokesman for the state unit of the CPM, Gautam Das, said labourers engaged in the national rural job scheme had forced the Congress MLA and the “miscreants accompanying him” to retreat.

He, however, denied allegations of assault on them.

The team reached Kaladhepa at nine this morning and talked to the 11 tribal women allegedly assaulted and molested by the police.

Bhowmik was told that their proprietorial land had been leased by the ONGC for drilling between December 2006 and January 2009 but the site was abandoned early this year as natural gas or oil could not be found.