New Delhi: Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered a CBI investigation into the attack on the convoy of Nisith Pramanik, the Minister of State for Home Affairs and Sports, in North Bengal.
Last month, his convoy was attacked allegedly by Trinamool Congress workers when he was on his way to meet the party workers in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district, news agency ANI reported.
"If a minister is not safe, you can imagine the plight of the common man. The incident shows the state of democracy in Bengal," Pramanik said, as per PTI.
According to reports, a clash broke out between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and TMC workers when Pramanik’s convoy was passing through the Dinhata area of the Bengal district.
The incident took place when the TMC workers showed black flags while Nisith Pramanik's convoy was passing through the area.
When the BJP workers confronted them, violent clashes between both sides erupted. The workers also pelted stones at each other.
As per reports, the minister’s convoy was guarded by police and central forces yet a stone fell on his car. Fortunately, the Union Minister was not hurt in the stone-pelting incident.
Crude bombs were also reportedly thrown during the clashes between BJP and TMC workers. As per reports, the saffron party workers later damaged many vehicles that were parked on the roadside.
The police had to resort to tear gas shell firing and lathi charge to bring the situation under control.
As per reports, the locals are miffed with Union Minister Pramanik over the killing of a tribal, allegedly in firing by the Border Security Force (BSF), which reports to the Home Ministry, of which he is a minister.
(With agency inputs)