16 arrested for attack on West Bengal BJP chief’s convoy

“We have arrested 16 people in connection with Wednesday’s clash. A report has also been sent to the Election Commission of India detailing the incident,” Debasis Dhar, superintendent of police, Cooch Behar, said.

HT Correspondents

West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh near his damaged vehicle after he was allegedly attacked following an election meeting, in the Sitalkuchi area of Cooch Behar on April 7, 2021. (PTI)

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KolkataAt least 16 people were arrested on Thursday in connection with the attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit chief Dilip Ghosh’s convoy at Cooch Behar in north Bengal on Wednesday.

“We have arrested 16 people in connection with Wednesday’s clash. A report has also been sent to the Election Commission of India detailing the incident,” Debasis Dhar, superintendent of police, Cooch Behar, said.

The attack on the convoy took place after a clash broke out between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP workers, police said. A few crude bombs were also hurled in the clash which left four persons injured, they added.

On Thursday, several BJP leaders staged protests outside various police stations in the district.

Meanwhile, several reports of clashes poured in from various areas across the state ahead of the fourth phase of polling on Saturday. In South 24 Parganas, clashes erupted between workers of the TMC and newly-formed Indian Secular Front (ISF). “Our workers are being threatened and beaten up. One of our polling agents was badly injured after he was attacked by TMC on Thursday,” Shahbuddin Gaji, ISF candidate from Canning Purba in South 24 Parganas, said.

Shaukat Mollah, the TMC candidate from the district, said: “These are baseless allegations against the TMC. The party has nothing to do with this.”