BJP Candidate's Convoy Assaulted in Cooch Behar; Trinamool Denies Involvement
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Kolkata, March 31 (NationPress) A convoy belonging to a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate faced an attack on Tuesday, reportedly by members of the Trinamool Congress in the Kesharibari region of West Bengal's Cooch Behar Dakshin Assembly constituency.
It was reported that one vehicle in the BJP candidate's convoy was damaged, and a BJP worker suffered injuries.
The injured BJP worker is currently receiving medical attention at a local hospital.
Rathindranath Bose, the BJP candidate contesting for the Cooch Behar Dakshin seat, has publicly accused the Trinamool Congress of orchestrating the attack.
However, the leadership of the Trinamool Congress has rejected these claims, asserting that the incident stemmed from an outburst of public anger.
As per police reports, the BJP candidate, alongside other party officials, was returning to Cooch Behar after finishing a campaign when the convoy was targeted in the Kesharibari area.
While the lead vehicle of the BJP candidate remained unharmed, another car in the convoy was vandalized.
Consequently, a BJP worker named Ajit Das was injured and transported to Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Medical College and Hospital in the Cooch Behar district for treatment.
Discussing the incident, BJP candidate Rathindranath Bose stated, "We had planned to visit a rural area this morning to meet with our party members. Suddenly, we learned that some outside miscreants had torn down our party flags in that region, even going so far as to burn them. A large crowd gathered, but most dispersed. However, a few stayed behind, and we continued our meeting with them."
Bose further remarked, "As we were returning, we encountered a group of aggressive Trinamool supporters on the road, armed with bamboo sticks and flags. They initiated an attack as several of our vehicles tried to pass through. They specifically targeted one of our cars, smashing its windows and injuring a few of our associates with bamboo sticks, some suffering head injuries while others were hit on their shoulders."
He also criticized the police for their absence, saying, "Not a single police officer was present. We had notified them in advance about our visit to that area."
In response, Trinamool Congress leader Abdul Jalil Ahmed described the accusations as unfounded. He stated, "The allegations are baseless. Due to arbitrary removals from voter lists in villages, protests are inevitable wherever our party goes. Our organization has no involvement in this. The public's frustration has simply reached its limit."
Since his candidacy was announced, BJP nominee Rathindranath Bose has faced significant public backlash in several areas.
Recently, while campaigning in Ward number 3 of Cooch Behar town, he was confronted by protesters led by a Trinamool councilor, who chanted 'go back' slogans.
Moreover, on Monday in Ghugumari, the BJP candidate's vehicle was intercepted, and protesters again raised 'go back' slogans while waving black flags. Subsequently, on Tuesday, the BJP candidate's convoy was attacked.