Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday was reportedly targeted by mobs of Trinamool Congress workers and supporters when he visited the Murshidabad district in West Bengal.
Mr. Chowdhury, who is the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief in West Bengal, was visiting Gudhaipara village under Raninagar II block in Murshidabad to probe alleged violence against Congress supporters by the ruling party workers.
Letter to Mamata
The timing of the confrontation is significant as it comes in the middle of efforts to bolster Opposition unity. The face off also comes barely 24 hours after Mr. Chowdhury had written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing Trinamool workers of unleashing violence against Congress workers.
Mr. Chowdhury's office also released videos of his motorcade being chased by people, women showing brooms, slippers and black flags in Raninagar II Block.
“I am touring this place because yesterday I got calls for help from our mothers and sisters. Yesterday, for uninterrupted five hours, their homes were attacked, vandalised and looted. Even the fish in their ponds and bamboo plantations were not spared,” Mr. Chowdhury told reporters in Murshidabad.
"There is an atmosphere of fear and terror here. These people fear that attacks will restart after we leave the place. I have raised all these issues in my letter to the Bengal Chief Minister,"he added.
Ammunition for BJP
Mr Chowdhury's letter, dated September 2, will also give fresh ammunition to the BJP that has been targetting the Mamata Banerjee government over post poll violence in the State.
In his letter to Ms. Banerjee, the Congress leader alleged, “I do like to flag your kind attention to the violence and atrocities committed by the ruling party's workers in a broad daylight today when houses of Congress party workers were vandalized and looted much to the concern of us.”
“You will be surprised to note that the entire looting and violence took place in the full glare of local police administration,” the Congress leader alleged. “Under this precarious situation which has been prevailing over that area, it calls for immediate administrative action against those miscreants,” he added.
The Congress leader urged the Chief Minister to immediately intervene “to stem the deteriorating law and order situation and ensure justice to the victims”.
