‘Kicked, pushed’: BJP’s Dilip Ghosh quits bypoll campaign featuring Mamata

The national vice president of the BJP, Dilip Ghosh, was forced to abandon the campaign for the by-election in Bhabanipur assembly, West Bengal, after protests by Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters.

Ghosh was canvassing for Priyanka Tibrewal, who is contesting the bypoll against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The state BJP president, Sukanta Majumdar, said Ghosh was “kicked, pushed and heckled” by TMC supporters. A BJP worker was also injured after a scuffle broke out between the two rival groups.

On Monday, the last day of campaigning, the BJP deployed party leaders in Bhabanipur, including Ghosh, in support of Priyanka Tibrewal.

A large number of TMC workers and supporters raised slogans against Ghosh and asked him to go back. Soon a scuffle broke out among TMC workers, BJP workers and security guards of Ghosh. At one point, Ghosh’s security guards were seen brandishing service revolvers to scare the mob away. Seeing the situation getting out of control, Ghosh ran away.

However, BJP worker Bhab Narayan Singh was allegedly caught by TMC workers and thrashed. He was seen bleeding from his head but continued to raise slogans against the TMC. Later Ghosh and his party workers took him for treatment.

Ghosh said: “You can see there is no security for us when conducting door-to-door campaigning. They broke the forehead of our worker and even kicked me as well. I don’t know how the bypoll will be held under these circumstances. Where is democracy? We will lodge a complaint with the Election Commission. But I don’t know how will people cast their votes.”