“BJP cadres involved, had police backing”: MLA Kunal Ghosh alleges
TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh claims BJP cadres vandalised his car with police backing during his travel to a Mamata Banerjee rally.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and MLA Kunal Ghosh has levelled serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the local administration following a violent attack on his vehicle in Hooghly district. Speaking to the media, Ghosh claimed that BJP cadres were responsible for the vandalism and that the incident occurred with the implicit support of the police.
Attack in Uttarpara
The incident took place in Uttarpara while Ghosh was en route to Serampore to participate in a political rally led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. According to the MLA, his vehicle was intercepted and subjected to a brutal assault by a mob.
Ghosh detailed the extent of the destruction, stating that the attackers used a variety of weapons to smash his car. He alleged that the mob used:
- Rods and crowbars to damage the vehicle structure
- Stones and bricks to shatter windows
- Eggs were hurled at the car during the chaos
"It was completely destroyed," Ghosh remarked, emphasizing the severity of the damage.
Allegations of Police Negligence
A central part of Ghosh's accusation involves the perceived absence and complicity of law enforcement. He arrived at the West Bengal Police Headquarters to lodge a formal complaint but found the gates closed. Ghosh expressed frustration over the lack of security presence during the actual attack.
He questioned the fundamental duty of the police, asking whether any citizen, let alone an elected representative, is entitled to protection when under attack. He further alleged that the lack of intervention proves that the attackers had the "backing and blessings" of the police and the administration.
Mamata Banerjee Slams "Strangulation of Opposition"
The former Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, also weighed in on the escalating tensions. She noted that legal permission for the scheduled meeting had been secured from the court 15 days in advance, yet she claimed she was being prevented from leaving her residence.
Banerjee accused the BJP of using "lumpens" to block roads and suggested that the police were facilitating these disruptions rather than preventing them. Addressing the attack on Kunal Ghosh, she posed a sharp question regarding the state of democracy:
"You tell me, is it a healthy sign for democracy? If you really have got the public mandate, why are you strangling the opposition? Police should take off the uniform and take up the BJP's flag."