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‘Drama for sympathy’: BJP’s Arjun Singh questions ‘attack’ on Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee claimed on Wednesday evening that she was attacked at Nandigram in East Midnapore, just hours after filing her nomination papers from the assembly constituency.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arjun Singh on Wednesday questioned West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegations of being attacked, wondering how this was even possible when a huge police contingent accompanied her. Singh further accused Banerjee of doing ‘drama for sympathy.’
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“Is it Taliban that her convoy was attacked? Huge police force accompanies her. Who can get near her? Four IPS officers are her security in-charge and must be suspended. Attackers don’t appear out of nowhere, they have to be nabbed. She did drama for sympathy,” Singh, a former leader of Banerjee’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) said, as per news agency ANI.
The West Bengal chief minister was allegedly attacked at Nandigram in East Midnapore on Wednesday evening, just hours after filing her nomination papers from the assembly constituency, where she will be up against her former aide Suvendu Adhikari, who joined the BJP last December. “I was deliberately pushed by four-five persons. There were no police at the spot. They did it knowingly. I’m having chest pain,” Banerjee, who had to be helped by her security guards, said.
The TMC chief was scheduled to spend the night at Nandigram and return to Kolkata on Thursday. However, after being ‘attacked,’ she chose to return to the state capital on Wednesday night itself.
The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is currently in effect in West Bengal, which means that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is in-charge of law and order in the eastern state. The MCC comes into effect as soon as elections are announced and continues till the entire process has been completed. Banerjee, besides being the chief minister, is the home minister of West Bengal.
Assembly elections will take place in West Bengal across eight phases, between March 27 and April 2. Counting of votes and declaration of results is scheduled for May 2. Banerjee, who first became CM after TMC won the 2012 assembly elections, is looking at a third consecutive term in office. However, she faces a stiff challenge from the BJP, which is aiming at forming its maiden government in the poll-bound state.
