Attack on Abhishek’s convoy: 8 held so far

Kolkata: Eight persons were arrested on Saturday in connection with the attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s convoy and vandalising the car of minister Birbaha Hansda.

The arrested persons were produced at the Jhargram Court on Sunday and have been remanded to judicial custody for one day. The accused persons claimed that they have been framed.

According to sources, after the incident of the attack police registered a case against the accused persons on charges of attempt to murder, obstructing government employees from discharging their duties, vandalising government property and rioting among others.

Abhishek’s convoy was allegedly attacked by the ‘Kurmi’ protesters in Jhargram on Friday. However, he had crossed the area safely. After his car was through, agitators started pelting stones at the convoy. Hansda’s vehicle was vandalised in Salboni. Following the incident Abhishek had alleged that the attack was planned by the BJP.

After the incident, Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee alleged that BJP was trying to create a Manipur-like situation in Bengal. She said: “The 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 criticised BJP and claimed that he does not believe that Kurmi people are involved in it.

He alleged that BJP had fueled the incident. He had said: “These ‘protesters’, are claiming to be from the Adivasi community. Why do they have the slogan of Jay Shree Ram on their lips, rather than ‘Jai Goram?”