India: Federal minister on election campaign in West Bengal attacked

Kolkata: Anti-social elements opened fire and hurled bombs at Congress leader Federal Minister of State for Health Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury’s car in Malda district. The incident occurred when Chowdhury was travelling with Congress supporters in a rally for the on-going Panchayat (village council) elections.

Witnesses said there were at least five blank shots fired at Chowdhury. Though he escaped unhurt, the rally was disrupted.

“Anti-socials kept firing at our car. But we didn’t leave midway. The gunmen were from the Trinamool Congress (TMC),” Chowdhury told Gulf News over phone. State Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya alleged that shots were fired at Choudhury and a crude bomb was hurled at the vehicle while he was campaigning for his party candidate in the ongoing panchayat polls at Kaliachak in the district.

“Several bullets were fired and a bomb was hurled at the vehicle on which Choudhury was campaigning. Fortunately, he escaped unhurt,” said Bhattacharya, alleging that the ruling TMC was behind the attack. “This is a conspiracy by the TMC to prevent us from campaigning for the polls. Despite complaints, police have failed to take any action against the culprits. Earlier, these anti-social elements belonged to the Left parties, now they have joined the TMC,” Bhattacharya said.

However, the state police and the ruling TMC have denied any such incident. State Additional Director General of Police Banibrata Basu said: “I spoke to the Malda superintendent of police, who said there was no such attack. The sound that Choudhury heard was probably of bursting firecrackers.”

TMC leader and state’s tourism minister Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury rubbished the claims of the attack on Choudhury. “There has been no attack on Choudhury. He was under adequate security cover and no bullets were fired nor was a bomb thrown at him. He claims he only heard a sound. It is an attempt by the Congress to malign the state government,” Narayan Chowdhury said.

The Panchayat polls in Bengal have repeatedly been marred by political violence all over the state. During the filing of nomination papers, 12 people were killed and last Monday, three people were killed during the second phase of the five-phase election.