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"Ma Durga’s Grace Helped Me": BJP Chief JP Nadda On Attack In Bengal

BJP’s Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh alleged that a mob armed with sticks had gathered to attack JP Nadda’s convoy. Policemen were barely present even though the BJP president has Z-category security, he charged

Kolkata: BJP president JP Nadda’s convoy was attacked with bricks and stones near Kolkata and some leaders were injured, the party alleged today, accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of "serious lapse in security". Home Minister Amit Shah has asked for a report on the incident which, BJP leaders alleged, was orchestrated by the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress.

A dramatic video shared online shows a car, said to be part of the BJP chief’s convoy, being attacked with bricks and the windscreen and windows shattering.

Some BJP workers on motorcycles were allegedly attacked with sticks and many cars were damaged. Several media vehicles were also hit with stones.

Mr Nadda said party leaders Mukul Roy and Kailash Vijayvargiya were hurt.

The BJP leaders were travelling to Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas near Kolkata when the attack took place around 12 noon. Diamond Harbour is the parliamentary constituency of Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"Mukul Roy and Kailash Vijayvargiya were injured in the attack today. It is a shame on democracy. There isn’t a car in our convoy which was not attacked. I am safe because I was travelling in a bulletproof car. This state of lawlessness and intolerance in West Bengal has to end," Mr Nadda told reporters.

"If I have reached here for the meeting, it’s due to Ma Durga’s grace," he added.

Addressing a rally, he said: "This goondaraj cannot be allowed to continue. This is jungle raj, the administration has collapsed."

"I have been injured in this attack. The party president’s car was also attacked. We strongly condemn it. In the presence of police, goons attacked us. It felt as if we were not in our own country," said Kailash Vijayvargiya.

BJP’s Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh alleged that a mob armed with sticks had gathered to attack Mr Nadda’s convoy. Policemen were barely present even though the BJP president has Z-category security, he charged. The police, he alleged, failed to provide smooth passage to the convoy.

Mr Nadda is on a two-day visit to Kolkata as the BJP preps an aggressive campaign for the Bengal election due in six months.

Mr Ghosh said he had written to the Home Minister just yesterday expressing concern about Mr Nadda’s security. He said black flags were raised and some even climbed on the cars parked outside the BJP office in Kolkata when Mr Nadda was visiting.

"At our party office at Hastings, Kolkata, there was a mob of 200 plus with sticks, bamboos etc demonstrating raising black flags. Some of them climbed on the cars parked outside the office and raised slogans. Police did not intervene to stop them and casually allowed them to come within a close perimeter of Nadda ji’’s vehicle," Mr Ghosh said in his letter to Amit Shah.

Mr Ghosh said he had separately written to the Superintendent of Police of South 24 Parganas district about his concerns.

Mr Ghosh had said party workers had information that Trinamool supporters would organise multiple protests when Mr Nadda visited the Diamond Harbour area.

"It is an absolute lie. You don’t inform the state government. You come with your own central security. It is up to Nadda sahab. If he had informed, we would have provided security," Firhad Hakim, state minister, said in the government’s first response to the incident.