Nisith Pramanik, a former Union minister of state and the ex-MP of Cooch Behar, faced protests when he reached Dinhata to appear in a court in connection with an old murder case.

Pramanik and other BJP leaders alleged that the Trinamool Congress had organised the protests. Leaders of the ruling dispensation of Bengal, however, claimed that it was a spontaneous protest by people who were aggrieved with the BJP because of the torture faced by the Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states.

Pramanik, along with his security men, reached Dinhata on Thursday to appear at the court as he and 40 others were named as accused in the murder of a Trinamool worker in 2018. He was a youth Trinamool leader then.

Some people started gathering on the road outside the court. They were carrying black flags.

Around 2pm, Pramanik exited the court and boarded his car. When the car moved out of the court premises, those who had gathered resorted to protests while wielding
black flags.

Some of them tried to stop Pramanik’s SUV, but the security personnel and police managed to guide his vehicle out of the location. The protesters demonstrated for some time and then dispersed.

“It was entirely planned by Trinamool. Even stones were hurled at the car. Our party will not tolerate such attacks,” said a senior BJP functionary in Cooch Behar district.

He alleged that a similar attack had been organised by Trinamool during the visit of Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, in Cooch Behar a few days back. The rear screen of Pramanik’s SUV was vandalised then.

Trinamool leaders have denied the BJP’s allegation.

“People across Cooch Behar are aggrieved with the BJP. Migrant workers from Bengal are being tortured by the police and BJP cadres in the BJP-ruled states, and many of them have returned home,” said Partha Saha, a youth Trinamool leader in Dinhata.

“The BJP leaders here are, however, sitting silent. That was why people voiced their protests today,” he added.

Asked about the old case registered against him, Pramanik said: “I have complete faith in the judiciary. In due course, I would be found innocent as I was falsely implicated in the case with
political intentions.”