Days after Mamata Banerjee publicly asked her party men not to “remain cool” when dealing with the Opposition parties as “the Election Commission is watching your every move”, CPI(M) MP and party Politburo member Md Salim was on Wednesday attacked by Trinamool supporters, he alleged.
Though Salim escaped unhurt about half a dozen of his party men received injuries and were currently recuperating in hospitals, he said adding “my car was partially damaged but my driver’s deftness saved me.”
The incident took place at Kandra village in Ketugram block of Burdwan district where Salim had gone to address a public rally.
The Trinamool refuted the charges saying it was the “result of their intra-party conflict.” The attacks took place when Deputy Election Commissioner was touring Bengal to take stock of situations. He was likely to meet the DMs and SPs before meeting the political parties.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday extended pardon to suspended party strongman and former MlA Arabul Islam and took him back in the party fold.
He was earlier suspended for six years following charges of triple murder. Islam has also been accused of attacking a lady lecturer of a college and then CPI(M) MlA Abdul Rezzak Mollah.
Reacting to his “glorious comeback to the Trinamool fold” former CPI(M) MP Samik lahiri said “the elections are coming and they know that they cannot win without letting loose their goonda brigade.
Bringing back Arabul is one example of that.” He however added his party would go all out to see that such leaders are taken into custody before the elections as they run criminal charges against their names.