The convoy of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari was attacked in West Bengal's Cooch Behar on Tuesday, with some men throwing stones at the vehicles, reports NDTV.
Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, was attacked while he was leading a protest rally in Cooch Behar.
He was shown black flags near the Khagrabari area.
According to BJP leaders, a mob, holding TMC party flags and black flags, gathered at the Khagrabari crossing around 12.35 PM when Adhikari’s convoy was passing through the area.
Protesters reportedly shouted 'go back' slogans and hurled shoes at his vehicle.
At least one car in his convoy, including a police escort vehicle, had its window panes shattered.
“TMC, under the leadership of Udayan Guha, has done this in the presence of police. They smashed the glass of even a bulletproof car with stones,” said Adhikari afterwards.
The BJP has strongly condemned the attack, accusing TMC of orchestrating the violence in an attempt to suppress opposition voices.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC), however, dubbed the charges "well-scripted drama".
“There is total absence of law and order, total breakdown of constitutional machinery in Bengal. What was police doing," West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya told Times Now.
Partha Pratim Roy, the TMC Cooch Behar district party president, said, “Today, the people of Bengal and TMC workers showed black flags and protested against the BJP. Our workers engaged in a peaceful demonstration. No one was involved in violence. BJP has staged the incident to get sympathy.”
Udayan Guha, the Dinhata MLA and North Bengal Development Minister, said, “People protested against the BJP’s aim to bring in NRC in Bengal. Whoever is trying to do such things, to insult the Bengali language, harass our migrant workers outside the state, will face the wrath of the people.”
It is yet to be confirmed whether anyone was injured in the incident, reported PTI.
On July, 29 Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Bengal assembly Adhikari wrote to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) complaining against West Bengal Chief Minister's indirect threat and intimidation of the BLOs.
