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regular-article-logo Tuesday, 16 April 2024
CM promises to be back in a day or two

Mamata appeals for calm in video message from hospital bed

I will be back in one or two day, says Bengal CM, adding she may need to use wheelchair

Our Bureau And Agencies Calcutta Published 11.03.21, 04:09 PM
In a video message from the hospital bed, Mamata said she would be back for poll campaigning in a few days and would probably need to use a wheelchair for some time.

In a video message from the hospital bed, Mamata said she would be back for poll campaigning in a few days and would probably need to use a wheelchair for some time. PTI

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, recovering from an alleged attack on her that has left her with a cast on her left ankle, urged her supporters on Thursday to maintain peace and not do anything that would inconvenience the public.

In a video message from the hospital bed, Mamata said she would be back for poll campaigning in a few days and would probably need to use a wheelchair for some time.

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"I appeal to my party cadres, supporters, activists and common people to maintain peace and calm. It is true that I was badly hurt last night and felt severe pain in the chest and head. The doctors are looking after me," she said.

"I appeal to everyone to maintain peace. I hope to be back on the field in the next few days," Mamata added.

The Trinamool Congress issued the over-a-minute-long video clip that was recorded at a special cabin bearing number 12.5 of the Woodburn Block of SSKM Hospital where Mamata is undergoing treatment after being injured during the election campaign in Nandigram.

Doctors said on Thursday that she was stable and would be kept under observation for 48 hours.

The chief minister was rushed back to Calcutta on Wednesday and admitted to the state-run hospital with injuries on her left leg, waist, shoulder and neck, according to doctors.

She has alleged that while in Nandigram, she was attacked by four-five men who pushed her, besides banging the door of her SUV on her while she was standing on the footboard to greet people.

"I was doing 'namaskar' standing on the bonnet of my car… at that time pressure was exerted, because of which my leg was hit by the car. In that condition, whatever medicine I was carrying I had those and soon we left for Calcutta. Since then, the doctors are treating me," the chief minister said in the video.

"I will be back within one or two days," she said and appealed to her supporters for calm in the wake of widespread protests by Trinamool Congress workers across the state. TMC activists blocked roads, burnt tyres and raised slogans, blaming the BJP for the alleged attack.

Besides several areas in Calcutta, including Chetla and Sovabazar, TMC workers protested in Howrah, Hooghly, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur, Jalpaiguri, Paschim Bardhaman and Purba Medinipur, among others.

Earlier in the day, doctors said they were planning to conduct a series of medical tests, including a CT scan, to assess the degree of Mamata’s injuries, sources at the facility said. Preliminary medical tests conducted on Banerjee late on Wednesday night detected severe bone injuries in her left ankle and foot, and injuries in her right shoulder, forearm and neck, they said.

"A temporary plaster was done on her left ankle and she will undergo several blood tests this morning. Her ECG report was fine.

"Banerjee is stable now. She will be under observation for the next 48 hours. A CT scan may be conducted during the day. We will again examine her and decide on our next course of treatment. Her fever subsided," a doctor of the SSKM Hospital told PTI.

On Thursday morning, senior district officials visited the area in Nandigram where the chief minister was allegedly attacked while campaigning for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Purba Medinipur District Magistrate Vibhu Goel, SP Praween Prakash and other officers visited the Birulia Bazar area to inquire about the incident, officials said.

The officers spoke to eye-witnesses, besides looking for footage from any CCTV installed in the area to ascertain the exact sequence of events, they said. "We are talking to people who were present here during the incident. We have not got hold of any clear footage of that moment till now," the district magistrate said.

"Multiple people are giving multiple versions of the incident. We are trying to listen to those who were present at that moment, and then file our report to the Election Commission," he added.

The district administration may file a report to the Election Commission by the second half of the day, sources said.

Trinamool Congress and BJP supporters got engaged in a war of words over the attack on Mamata as the officials were visiting the Birulia Bazar area. While TMC supporters alleged the "attack was a pre-planned conspiracy", BJP workers termed it a “lie”.

On Wednesday, the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday postponed the release of its manifesto for the upcoming elections in West Bengal, following the alleged attack on Mamata.

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