Bengal: BJP Says MoS Home Nisith Pramanik's Convoy Attacked In Cooch Behar, Police Call It 'Minor Scuffle'

Refuting the claims, TMC said the incident might have been the fallout of infighting within the saffron party.

Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Nisith Pramanik

Source : Getty Images

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday alleged that Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Nisith Pramanik's convoy was attacked by TMC supporters in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district, news agency PTI reported.

However, police said it was a "minor scuffle" as some people tried to wave black flags at him.

Pramanik was in Sitai area to visit the houses of BJP workers who were attacked last week, the party said.

TMC goons attacked the convoy of Shri @NisithPramanik, MoS, Home affairs at Sitai, Coochbehar.
A few days back, TMC Minister Udayan Guha announced Nisith Pramanik's beard shall be uprooted.@AmitShah @PIBHomeAffairs pic.twitter.com/1t6caiuBa7

— Keya Ghosh (@keyakahe) November 3, 2022

The party workers alleged stones were hurled at his cavalcade by TMC supporters.

Refuting the claims, TMC said the incident might have been the fallout of infighting within the saffron party.

"We don't know what happened there, so it won't be right to comment just on news reports. But, I don't think the TMC is in any way involved in it. It must be due to infighting between the newcomers and old-timers of the BJP," PTI quoted TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh as saying. 

According to police, there were 20 vehicles in Pramanik's convoy, and about 200 people on motorcycles were accompanying it. The scuffle broke out when five people tried to wave black flags at Pramanik, the MP of Cooch Behar.

“It was a minor scuffle between people in the minister's convoy and bystanders carrying black flags, when the cavalcade was passing through the Sitai police station area. During the scuffle, a few motorcycles were damaged. On-duty police officers intervened, and the situation was brought under control. We have not arrested anyone," Cooch Behar SP Sumit Kumar said.

However, Pramanik later said that if there was an attack on his convoy, the accused will get a "reply".

"If they attack my convoy, we won't shower flowers on them. If they attack, they will get a reply," the minister said, adding, "I have come here to meet BJP workers who were attacked a few days back. We stand with our party workers. We are not here to conduct any political programme. I just wanted to meet the party workers and their families."

Condemning the incident, BJP's national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said it was shameful and that it is a “regular affair in the state where opposition workers are attacked.”