Kolkata: “It is a conspiracy,” said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleging that the bomb attack on state Railway Minister Jakir Hossain was a preplanned attack by certain people who were “pressuring” him to switch over to another party. Banerjee, who went to the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata to inquire after his condition following the incident last evening, slammed the Railways for failing to prevent the attack.
Hossain was seriously injured after unidentified attackers hurled a crude bomb at him at Nimtita railway station in Murshidabad district on Wednesday night. At least two other persons, who were with the Trinamool Congress MLA of Jangipur, were also injured in the incident which occurred ahead of the assembly election in the state due in April-May this year.
“It was a preplanned attack on minister Jakir Hossain… It is a conspiracy. Some people (party) were pressuring Jakir Hossian to join them for the last few months. I don’t want to disclose anything more as the investigation is on,” Banerjee told reporters.
Notably, the incident happened ahead of a head-to-head political battle in Kolkata’s neighbouring South 24 Parganas district where Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are scheduled to address rallies separated by a distance of less than two hours.
“How can the railways deny their responsibility over security lapses when the attack happened at a railway station?” CM Banerjee asked.
A total of 26 people were injured in the blast, CM Banerjee said. The chief minister has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for those seriously injured in the explosion and Rs one lakh for people with minor injuries.
Meanwhile, the state government has handed over the probe in the case to the CID.