West Bengal Governor in Dinhata, Asks DGP for TMC-BJP Clash Report

Kolkata: West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose reached Dinhata in Coochbehar on Wednesday to assess the volatile situation after seeking a report from newly-appointed state DGP Sanjay Mukherjee into a violent political clash during which the convoy of union minister of state for home affairs Nisith Pramanik was attacked by Trinamul Congress workers allegedly led by North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha.

Raj Bhavan stated that Mr Bose “has sought a report from the state police chief on the veracity of the report on the altercation and confrontation between Union Minister Mr. Nishith Pramanik and West Bengal State Minister Mr. Udayan Guha. The Governor has also sent a list of habitual offenders received through the logsabha portal for appropriate preventive action to restrain them from blocking free and fair elections.”

The clash, which is the first major one in the state since the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls and the model code of conduct, unfolded at Dinhata Bazar at around 8.30 pm on Tuesday after Mr Pramanik, the Coochbehar BJP MP, finished his public meeting while Mr Guha’s rally was about to start. Police lathicharge the warring groups of TMC and BJP workers. Many shops were also vandalized.

Mr Pramanik claimed, “I was leaving the area after my meeting. TMC supporters suddenly pelted stones at us. I got down from my car and protested their attack." Rejecting his claims Mr Guha alleged, “People from Mr Pramanik’s convoy hurled stones at us. They were also shooting arrows targeting us. Some of our workers were injured. The union minister himself was provoking his supporters to attack us."