TMC attacks EC as Didi lands in hospital; Oppn calls it drama
Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 11
The Election Commission has come under pressure in West Bengal with the ruling Trinamool Congress holding the constitutional body responsible for the “attack” on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram last evening.
The BJP, accused by the TMC of orchestrating the “attack”, has also demanded that the EC must probe the incident and publish its findings within 48 hours for the sake of its own reputation. The BJP demanded a CBI inquiry to ascertain if the incident was “staged”.
Battleground Bengal
Was badly hurt, felt severe pain… will campaign even on a wheelchair. — Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister
The TMC has pointed out that the incident took place within 24 hours of the EC “summarily” removing and replacing the state DGP “at the behest of the BJP”.
A letter submitted to CEO, West Bengal, in Kolkata by TMC leaders Partha Chatterjee, Derek O’Brien and Chandrima Bhattacharya cited the absence of local police and SP at the spot of the “assault” despite Mamata being a “Z-plus protectee”.
Noting that the ADGP (Law & Order) had also been replaced, the TMC criticised “deliberate transfers” at the top echelons of police.
How a Z-plus protectee gets attacked? Order a CBI probe to bring out the truth. — Dilip Ghosh, West Bengal BJP chief
A picture posted on social media by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee showed the CM lying on a hospital bed with her left foot cast in plaster strung to an iron stand. “The Chief Minister has severe bony injuries in her left ankle and foot, besides injuries in right shoulder, forearm and neck. She is stable now but is having severe pain in the injured leg,” a senior doctor at the state-run SSKM Hospital said.
The TMC alleged it appeared there was a nexus between a complaint by the BJP against the erstwhile DGP and his removal by the EC and the absence of the SP and local police during Mamata’s tour on Wednesday.
Describing the “attack” a deep-rooted conspiracy to murder Banerjee, the TMC asked for an immediate investigation. The TMC also announced that 12 party MPs—six each from the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha—would meet the Election Commission in Delhi on Friday.
The BJP also submitted a memorandum to the CEO and asked for a detailed enquiry and to make the relevant video footage public. “We are concerned that how such an incident could have occurred, especially when Director and Additional Director (Security) were both present at the spot,” the BJP letter said, pointing out the presence in Mamata’s entourage of two senior IPS officers who were in charge of her security.
Purba Medinipur DM Vibhu Goel and SP Praveen Prakash visited Birulia Bazar, where the incident took place, and talked to local people on Thursday morning. Goel said he was collecting eyewitness accounts for sending across a report to the EC.
Mamata Banerjee submitted her nomination papers at Haldia (to contest from Nandigram) and went to Nandigram from there to campaign. She was reportedly injured when her vehicle door slammed shut on her. Banerjee alleged it was a conspiracy and claimed four-five men pushed the door to hurt her.
Opposition parties—Congress, BJP and CPM—have alleged that the Chief Minister was enacting a drama to gain sympathy. TMC workers are holding protests at various places of the state on the issue.
No bias, says Election Commission
- The EC has sent a strongly-worded letter to the TMC on its memorandum over injuries to Mamata, saying it looked “undignified to even respond” to allegations that the poll panel was doing things in the state at the behest of a “particular party”.
- The EC said the injuries sustained by Mamata at Nandigram were indeed an unfortunate incident and deserved to be inquired into with promptitude and dispatch.
- “Having said that it is rather unfortunate that the memorandum in question is full of insinuations and averments, which in fact questions the very basis of creation and functioning of the EC,” the letter said.
