Police have arrested six more persons in connection with the attack on the convoy of the leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, near Cooch Behar town, even as the blame game between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP has continued.

On Tuesday, the police had arrested one person in the case.

When Adhikari was going to the district headquarters on Tuesday to submit a memorandum to the superintendent of police in protest against the recent attacks on BJP MLAs, Trinamool organised protests in as many as 19 locations in the district.

When Adhikari’s convoy reached Khagrabari, the entry point to the town, suspected Trinamool supporters attacked the vehicles.

The rear windscreen
of the SUV, in which Adhikari was travelling, was damaged, and a police vehicle was vandalised.

The BJP filed a complaint, naming 41 persons, including north Bengal development minister Udayan Guha and district Trinamool president Abhijit De Bhowmik.

“It was a planned attack on Suvendu Adhikari at Khagrabari and Ghoksadanga. It indicates a deep-rooted conspiracy to ensure perpetration of such an attack,” advocate Anish Kumar Mukherjee said in the complaint.

After the first arrest, six more people were held later. Ranjit Dey, Jahirul Islam, Sukhlal Rabidas, Ashraful Alam, Haridhan Sarkar, Md. Habib and Sahidul Islam are the seven arrested people.

All of them are residents of different locations in Cooch Behar.

“Seven persons have been arrested so far. They were produced in the court today and sent to judicial custody. The investigation is in progress,” said K.G. Meena, the additional superintendent of police (headquarters) of Cooch Behar.

Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, submitted a notice to the secretary general of the Upper House, seeking a discussion on the incident.

“Attack on Democracy in Bengal! Convoy of LoP, WBLA attacked in Cooch Behar on HC’s directive visit. Repeated assaults on BJP leaders – no security ensured! Total collapse of law & order under TMC regime. Notice under Rule 267 submitted in Rajya Sabha,” he wrote on X.

Minister Guha said 19 of the 41 people named in the complaint were Muslims.

“They are from the Nasya Sheikh community, who are sons of the soil of
Cooch Behar. Yesterday, Suvendu Adhikari said that Bangladeshis and Rohingya people had attacked him. Then, why have they not named a single such person in the complaint?” asked the minister.

“He and his party are acting against Bengal and the residents of the state. That is why people are agitated with them. He will face similar protests wherever he goes across the state,” Guha added.