TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh attacked in West Bengal, blames BJP

Senior Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader and party MLA Kunal Ghosh was allegedly attacked by motorbike-borne miscreants who smashed the windshield of his vehicle. This was the second such attack in 24 hours, the former TMC Rajya Sabha member complained.

The pro-Mamata Banerjee TMC leader, who literally broke into tears, said, “They had nearly killed me… it was an attempt to murder as they were carrying guns and hammers… they trailed my car for quite some distance,” before attacking his vehicle at Narkeldanga area near Sealdah in North Kolkata.

“This is the second such attack as they attacked me yesterday while I was going to Mamata Banerjee’s programme at Serampore… and now they attacked me here,” he said, alleging, “this is a jungle raj that is going on during the BJP rule… where if an MLA is not safe then who is safe,” he said.

MTMC general secretary Abhisek Banerjee too raised concerns about the “prevailing law and order situation,” seeking intervention from State Governor RN Ravi. “There is no place for political violence in a democratic state … this cycle of violence must stop, and I urge the honourable Governor to direct the Director General of Police and Commissioner of Police to bring the guilty to book.”

The BJP, however, denied any involvement in the attack, with State party president Samik Bhattacharya saying the attack on Ghosh could have resulted from the current conflict between the two groups in the party — one led by Mamata Banerjee and the other by Opposition Leader Ritabrata Banerjee.