‘Attack on Mamata premeditated': TMC leaders knock on EC's door

A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation met West Bengal’s election commissioner on Friday (March 12) and sought an “unbiased investigation into the attack” on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The six-member delegation comprised Derek O’Brien, Saugata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Pratima and Santanu Sen. It alleged that Wednesday’s “attack” on the Trinamool leader was “premeditated and part of a deep-rooted conspiracy”.

The TMC leaders referred to a caricature posted by West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh on Facebook on March 8, 2021, which said Banerjee would be “hit” when she visits Nandigram. “Around the same time, numerous complaints were filed by the BJP with the Election Commission of India seeking immediate removal of the erstwhile director general and IGP of West Bengal and almost immediately and unilaterally, on March 9, 2021, in an abrupt decision, without consultation with the state government, the ECl removed the erstwhile DGP,” the memorandum submitted to the EC said.

The TMC leaders also referred to a tweet by BJP MP Saumitra Khan directed at his party colleague Babul Supriyo, written on March 9, saying: “You will come to know tomorrow after 5pm.”

Also read: Stay calm, exercise restraint, I will get back to work: Mamata tells supporters

They said these constituted proof that “something grave was planned and was in the offing beyond at Nandigram on March 10, 2021”.

The delegation held the police equally responsible for the March 10 attack. “The SP and local police were suspiciously absent when an attempt was made on the life of Ms Banerjee,” the memorandum read.

Following Wednesday’s incident, some witnesses gave statements to the police saying no “attack” took place and the CM was hurt when the door of her car hit against a pole. The TMC leaders responded to the charge saying: “To cover up the attack, witnesses were planted. Chittaranjan Das and Debabrata Das, who testified that Mamata Banerjee’s car hit an iron pillar, are associates of Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP candidate from Nandigram.”

Also read: Nandigram: A close-to-heart, layered battle for Mamata, Suvendu

Meanwhile, Banerjee requested party workers to maintain peace and order and said she would be back to work in two or three days. “I’m hoping I can get back to my daily schedule after two or three days. Owing to the condition of my leg, there would be a problem, but I will manage it. I won’t cancel any of my meetings… I might have to travel on a wheelchair in order to do it,” she was seen saying in a video message on Facebook.