Attack on Abhishek’s convoy: 1 more held

kolkata: State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested another accused person late on Thursday night in connection with the alleged attack on Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s convoy.

The arrested person identified as Koushik Mahato is also a ‘Kurmi’ leader.

According to sources, CID on Thursday night came to know that Koushik who is allegedly involved in the attack will go to Kolkata late night. Accordingly cops intercepted Koushik in Jhargram area when he was on his way to Kolkata around 1 am. He was arrested and brought to the police station. With his arrest the figure reached 11 so far.

On May 26, during the Nabojowar campaign Abhishek’s convoy was allegedly attacked by ‘Kurmi’ activists. Initially Abhishek and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had alleged that the BJP is behind the attack. Though several kurmi leaders were arrested, recently a BJP worker was also arrested.

After the incident Mamata alleged that BJP is trying to create a Manipur like situation in Bengal. She had said, “BJP was behind ethnic violence in Manipur. They are trying to replicate similar riots between communities in Bengal. They want to create a situation wherein Adivasis will fight Kurmis so that Army can be called in and the military will have shoot-at-sight orders. People are bleeding in Manipur while some people are doing ‘nacha gana’ (singing and dancing). In this type of situation, people stand by their side for the cause of humanity but nobody went there.”

Abhishek also had criticised BJP and had claimed that he does not believe that Kurmi people are involved in it. Trinamool Congress General Secretary alleged that BJP had fueled the incident. He had said: “These ‘protesters’, are claiming to be from the Adivasi community.”