Even as the BJP held ruling Trinamool Congress “directly responsible” for physically attacking its State president Dilip Ghosh in Darjeeling where he had gone to attend some political programmes, the saffron outfit held Statewide protest rallies bringing life to standstill in many places at Asansol, Birbhum, Kolkata Hooghly and elsewhere.
A day after Thursday’s incident, Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia saw “direct hand of the State Government” in the attack saying “it was a preplanned attack.”
Ghosh and another State leader Jayprakash, who were heckled and hounded away by the local miscreants allegedly backed by pro-Trinamool Congress faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha led by breakaway GJM leader Benay Tamang said the attack itself proved the kind of peace that had returned in Darjeeling as claimed by the Mamata Banerjee Government.
“I was not given any security cover. I have lodged a police complaint about the incident,” he said.
Thousands of BJP men descended on the streets on Friday protesting the Thursday’s assault on Ghosh and his followers blocking roads in Kolkata, Chandannagore, Siuri, Barasat, Asansol, East Burdwan and elsewhere, sources said.
From an undisclosed location, GJM chief Bimal Gurung who was facing UAPA charges slapped by the State Government said, “those who attacked the BJP leaders were stooges of the Trinamool Congress and against the Gorkhaland movement.”
Even as war of words ensued between the two sides, State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partho Chatterjee on Friday blamed the BJP leaders for “making derogatory remarks against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee even as they have gone to Darjeeling to disrupt the peace that is gradually returning to that area.
His ministerial colleague and a Minister from the Dooars region said, “the BJP should have known that the one who plays with fire is bound to get his fingers burnt.” The statements were proof enough to show who were behind the attack and who was pulling the strings from behind, BJP leaders said.
Meanwhile, the police on Friday arrested two persons for Thursday’s incident who subsequently were released on bail stoking cries of “police complicity in the whole incident.”
Counter cases were also slapped by the GJM (Tamang) side accusing the BJP workers for molestation and assault.
Darjeeling has been on the boil for the past four months or so in the wake of the GJM calling an indefinite bandh in support of a separate Gorkhaland State which was lifted in its 105th day following an appeal from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The turmoil saw violent movements, bomb blasts and about half-a-dozen deaths apart from a vertical split in the GJM — and expulsion of Benay Tamang and Anik Thapa — after they entered into a dialogue with the State Government to end the continuing bandh.