Union Minister V Muraleedharan's convoy attacked in Bengal, shares video

Kolkata: Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan's car was vandalised at Panchkuri village in West Midnapore district on Thursday while he was visiting the area in connection with alleged post-poll violence on saffron party workers.

Muraleedharan alleged in a tweet that the "TMC goons" were behind the attack on his convoy.

"I went to West Midnapore to meet party workers who have been attacked and their homes were vandalised. I was moving from one house to another with my convoy and then all of a sudden a group of people started charging towards us and attacked," Muraleedharan said.

"I am safe, but my driver was injured, few car windows were also smashed," the minister told PTI.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha who was accompanying the minister claimed that the attack took place despite the presence of the police personnel.

An officer of Kotwali police station in West Midnapore said that they are probing into the incident of the attack on the minister's convoy.

"It happened at around 12.30 pm today when some unidentified people attacked the minister's convoy," he said.

No one has been detained or arrested so far, the police officer said.

Nadda condemns attack

BJP president JP Nadda on Thursday condemned the attack on Union Minister V Muraleedharan's convoy in West Bengal and claimed that "TMC-sponsored" violence was in full swing in state after the assembly poll results were declared.

Nadda alleged that law and order has completely collapsed in West Bengal. "If an Union minister can be attacked then what would be the condition of common man?" he posed.

"TMC-sponsored violence is in full swing in West Bengal after assembly elections in the state," the BJP president alleged.

He also claimed, "Murderous attacks on BJP workers, rapes happening in West Bengal and people in thousands are fleeing to save lives."

Central team arrives in West Bengal

Meanwhile, a four-member fact-finding team of the Union Home Ministry, tasked with looking into reasons for the post-poll violence in West Bengal, arrived in the state on Thursday.

Led by an additional secretary of the ministry, the team visited the state secretariat and held a meeting with the home secretary and DGP, sources said.

The team, which will also assess the ground situation in the state, is likely to visit several areas in the city as well as South 24 Parganas, Godkhali, Sunderbans and Jaggadal, they said.

The ministry had on Wednesday sent a terse reminder to the West Bengal government to submit a detailed report on the post-poll violence and to take necessary measures to stop such incidents "without any loss of time".

It has also asked West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar to give a report on the law and order situation in the state, particularly the violence that took place following the election results on May 2.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that 16 people have lost their lives in post-poll violence in the state.

The BJP has alleged that TMC-backed goons have killed a number of its workers, attacked women members, vandalised houses and looted shops.

Rejecting the charges, Banerjee had Wednesday said violence and clashes were taking place in those areas where BJP candidates emerged victorious in the assembly polls.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MLA Firhad Hakim hit out at the Centre for sending teams instead of COVID-19 vaccines.

"They should send vaccines first, that's the responsibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We are grieved that some people have died, and action will be taken against the culprits.

"But, what will happen to the inoculation process which is stalled because of the vaccine crisis?" Hakim said.

(With PTI inputs)