Kolkata police registers case in Nandigram attack on Mamata Banerjee, TMC says EC must take responsibility

KOLKATA: Kolkata Police have registered a case over the alleged attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram on Wednesday night. The case was lodged on the basis of the complaint lodged by TMC leader Shiekh Sufian, the officials said.

A delegation of Trinamool Congress on Thursday met the Election Commission and slammed it for failing to provide security to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was injured during the election campaign in Nandigram. The TMC leaders said that the EC can’t shun responsibility as it is in charge of the law and order situation in the poll-bound West Bengal.

Accusing the EC of acting "as per orders" of the BJP leaders, the TMC delegation after meeting the EC officials here, alleged that the "Election Commission did nothing despite there being reports of a possible attack on Banerjee".

"The law and order situation in Bengal was good. But, after the announcement of elections law and order become the responsibility of the EC. The EC removed DGP of the state police and the very next day she was attacked," TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said.

Claiming that several comments by senior BJP leaders had dropped enough indications that Mamata Banerjee might be attacked, Chatterjee said "despite having those inputs the chief minister was left with no proper security". "Who will take responsibility for the attack on Mamata Banerjee, when EC is in charge of administration? EC has to take responsibility for the incident.

"They are acting as per orders of the BJP leaders. The BJP is asking the EC to remove an official and they are removing him," he said. A three-member TMC delegation, led by state minister Partha Chatterjee met EC officials and registered a complaint into the incident and demanded a thorough probe.

Chatterjee was accompanied by TMC leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. "You have to understand the chronology. You remove the DGP, leave a woman chief minister's security less and then attack her. If you go through the social media post by the BJP leaders there have been indications that she would be attacked," O'Brien said.

Banerjee is at present undergoing treatment at the SSKM hospital in Kolkata with injury to her left leg, waist, shoulder and neck, according to doctors. The TMC supremo alleged on Wednesday evening that during her campaign in Nandigram, she was attacked by four-five men who pushed her, besides banging on her the door of her car, leading to the injuries.