BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday night sat on the floor of the Chandrakona police outpost in West Midnapore, demanding the arrest of Trinamool Congress leaders and their aides who allegedly attacked his vehicle and convoy around 8.30pm.
The leader of the Opposition and Nandigram MLA was returning from Purulia after a rally when BJP workers with party flags as well as some alleged Trinamool leaders and workers had gathered near Chandrakona Road.
"They (the Trinamool Congress-backed group) started randomly hitting my vehicle with sticks. They had fuel, something like kerosene, with them. This led to a clash with our party workers," said Adhikari.
Adhikari immediately went to the nearest police outpost and sat on its floor in protest. “This time I decided to face them. That is why I sat in the demonstration. I will sit here till the police take appropriate action against all the accused,” Adhikari said.
Initially, Adhikari sat alone. With time, several BJP leaders, including women, joined him. Till 11pm, Adhikari was seated on the floor of the police outpost. He had lodged a complaint, insisting on attempt-to-murder charge be added to the FIR.
Trinamool spokesperson Arup Chakraborty, who claimed that party workers were merely sloganeering “Joy Bangla”, put up two videos and wrote on Facebook: “Adhikari can’t even tolerate sloganeering and yet dreams of running the state. In the chaos... central forces (accompanying Adhikari) beat up a BJP leader. Not everyone can become Mamata Banerjee, it is not easy."