Cooch Behar: The police of Cooch Behar Kotwali police stations have arrested five people in connection with the attack and vandalism on North Bengal Development minister Udayan Guha’s car on Sunday.
A complaint has been filed in Kotwali Police Station of Cooch Behar in the name of 49 BJP workers, including Nishit Pramanik, on behalf of TMC. Following yesterday’s incident, the entire Dinhata sub-division remained tense throughout the night, with incidents ranging from bombings to vandalism reported in different areas. Both the TMC and BJP have filed counter-complaints.
North Bengal Development minister Udayan Guha was travelling from Dinhata to Cooch Behar on Sunday evening when his car was allegedly attacked during a rally in support of BJP candidate Nishith Pramanik in the Ghughumari area of Cooch Behar. His car was vandalised. In protest, the TMC blocked roads in various areas at night, demanding the arrest of the accused. Uday Guha also criticised the police administration, alleging negligence. He stated: “BJP wants to establish gangster rule in the district. Yesterday’s incident happened due to police negligence.”
The unrest continued throughout the day and night, with allegations of bomb-throwing in front of the house of the deputy head of Dinhata Putimari Village Panchayat against BJP-backed miscreants.
Deputy head of Putimari village Panchayat Priyankar Roy reported: “I heard the sound of bombs outside the house at around four in the morning. Several bombs exploded not far from my house. CCTV footage captured the incident. The police of Dinhata police station recovered 5 crude bombs from the area on Monday morning. The BJP is accused of instigating tension in the area ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
However, BJP leadership denied the allegations. BJP Cooch Behar district secretary Ajay Raj said: “The allegations made by the TMC are completely baseless. TMC workers vandalized houses of BJP workers in the Dinhata area, including the house of a BJP Panchayat member in Rakhalmari. Additionally, the house of Raju Sarkar, the only Panchayat member of the BJP, in Booth No. 7/62 of Barashasakdal Gram Panchayat, was vandalised. Several BJP workers’ houses were also attacked. Meanwhile, TMC workers are attempting to file false cases against BJP workers by staging firecracker explosions in front of their own houses.”