A BJP leader was attacked on Basanti Highway on Saturday, almost two months after he left the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to join the opposition camp. The Opposition party blamed the TMC for the attack, but the ruling party refuted the allegation.
Firoze Kamal Gazi alias Babu Master was returning to Kolkata from an organisational meeting in Basirhat when, around 9 pm, some people on bikes blocked the car near the Laugachhi police outpost in Minakhar. They hurled crude bombs and fired at the vehicle.
Babu Master, who was sitting to the drier’s left, received splinter injuries, according to sources. The BJP leader’s driver, who drove him to the police outpost, was also injured.
The BJP leader had all splinters removed from his body, and was then transferred to the ICU. According to doctors, he is now out of danger.
BJP leader and former state minister Suvendu Adhikari visited Babu Master at the hospital. Later, he tweeted, attacking his former party Trinamool Congress (TMC). “He was mercilessly attacked by criminal elements from the @AITCofficial; I am sure you have already seen the pictures from the dastardly attack. Stay strong! This only reflects the desperation of @AITCofficial,” Adhikari said late on Saturday night.
State BJP president Dilip Ghosh lashed out at the TMC over the attack. “He was in TMC’s target for long. Such an attack on leaders of rival political parties cannot be accepted in a democracy. They are trying to create an environment of fear ahead of the elections,” he added.
On Sunday, BJP leaders held a protest at the spot where the incident occurred, demanding the arrest of the accused.
TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said, “The incident has nothing to do with politics. Law will take its own course.”
Tearing into the ruling party, CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “The TMC is surviving on criminal politics. The criminals of the TMC are now joining the BJP and it is not good for democracy. Babu Master, who was earlier attacking people, has now been attacked; it shows he is not in TMC now,” said CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty.
Sources in the police said they were examining all CCTV footage to see if the attackers were busy waiting for Babu Master. “However, it is not clear whether they came by bike or not. The BJP leader was injured when a glass and splinter hit him on the windscreen. An investigation is underway,” said an official.