The convoy of West Bengal Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari was allegedly attacked and vandalised in Coochbehar on Tuesday, with the BJP accusing Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers of orchestrating the incident.
The Mamata Banerjee-led party, however, denied the charges and called it a "well-scripted drama" by the saffron party.
The scuffle happened while Adhikari was on his way to present a deputation at the Coochbehar Superintendent of Police's office, where he intended to complain about suspected harassment of BJP party workers in the district.
Photographs from the location reflected Adhikari's convoy moving through a massive protest organised by the TMC, with party members waving black flags and chanting slogans. At least two of the vehicles in the convoy — including a police car and the pilot car — could be seen as visibly damaged, with broken windshields.
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A few BJP leaders said that a mob, carrying Trinamool party flags and black flags, converged at the Khagrabari crossing around 12.35 pm when Adhikari's convoy was moving through the locality.
The protesters allegedly chanted "go back Suvendu" slogans and even hurled shoes at the BJP leader's car.
The BJP attributed the event to a recent attack at Ghoksadanga, where a local BJP MLA's car was vandalised. In reaction, Adhikari had summoned a meeting of 65 BJP MLAs and intended to meet with the district police chief.
In anticipation of his visit, Coochbehar District TMC organised a chain of counter-programmes. TMC district president Abhijit De Bhowmik stated that the party would organise anti-NRC demonstrations in 19 places in the district on the same day.
Protests were organised in locations such as Baburhat, Ghughumari, Mathabhanga, Sitai, Changrabandha, Tufanganj, and Bhetaguri. The Trinamool Congress indicated that thousands of party activists would be placed at every entrance to Coochbehar till 2 pm, resulting in increased tension and extensive security deployments.
West Bengal Police is yet to make an official statement on the said attack or any arrest.
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