Kolkata, March 11:
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee sustained severe bone injuries after she was allegedly “pushed” by some persons at Nandigram in the East Midnapore district, reported citing a preliminary report by doctors at SSKM hospital where she was admitted after the incident. As per the report, the injuries were detected in her left ankle, foot, right shoulder, forearm and neck.
A team of five senior doctors has been constituted by the state government who is closely monitoring Banerjee. She will remain under observation for 48 hours.
Banerjee has been complaining of chest pain and breathlessness since the alleged attack.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening at around 6:15 pm hours after the Trinamool Congress chief filed nomination from Nandigram for the upcoming Assembly elections. She is up against the former party heavyweight and now a Bharatiya Janata Party leader (BJP), Suvendhu Adhikari.
Banerjee has alleged that she was “deliberately pushed by 4-5 people.” She has also claimed that there was no local police or superintendent at the spot when the unknown miscreants attacked her. Banerjee has a security cover of Z+ category.
There are no visuals of the attack despite the large media presence during the entire tour to East Midnapore town. There are photos of Banerjee being carried by her security personnel to the back seat of her vehicle.
“I was inside the car and greeting the people. They came and banged the door. I sustained injuries on my leg…there were many people. But 4-5 people did it deliberately. This is certainly a conspiracy,” said Banerjee.
The incident occurred at Birulia Anchal market when she was about to leave the area after offering prayers at a local temple. She was interaction with the crowd when the men approached her.
Opposition calls it ‘elections theatrics’
While some leaders condemned the incident, many from BJP and Congress have termed the incident as “theatrics” and found it “unbelievable.” Banerjee is “feeling the heat” in Nandigram and is thus resorting to “stunts and drama,” said Congress West Bengal unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday. He also accused her of resorting to “hypocrisy and theatrics” to gain public sympathy ahead of the assembly polls.
BJP leader and Union minister Piyush Goyal said, “I think I will refrain from commenting. All of you are intelligent and have covered (reported on) such things all your life. Our didi is perturbed. These are signs of a defeated party and a defeated candidate. She will lose from Nandigram and there will be a change in Bengal.”
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condemned the alleged attack on his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and said those responsible should be immediately arrested and punished.
EC seeks report
Following the attack, the Election Commission has sought a report from the West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Alapan Bandyopadhyay. The EC has also sought a report from Vivek Dubey, special police observer and Ajay Nayak, special general observer, West Bengal.
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has also sought a report from the administration on the incident.
(Courtesy Hindustan Times)
