Kolkata/Uttarpara: Mamata Banerjee loyalist and Beleghata Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh’s car was waylaid and attacked in Uttarpara on Saturday afternoon when he was on his way to Serampore to attend Banerjee’s rally, prompting a Mamata Trinamool-BJP slugfest over law and order in Bengal post the regime change.A mob stopped Ghosh’s car in Uttarpara Sakherbazar area on GT Road around 2 pm and attacked the vehicle with bricks, stones, eggs and iron rods, shattering the windshields and window glasses.“A major accident could have happened. The car has been completely smashed. They were standing there with sticks and rods completely blocking the road. My entire body is covered in glass shards. Had the iron rod and glass pieces hit my face or head, I could even have died,” Ghosh said. He claimed a stone had passed through the broken glass and injured his right shoulder.The mob refused to allow Ghosh to proceed to Serampore Court Maidan about 12 km away to attend Banerjee’s rally that was being held under conditions imposed by Calcutta High Court.“From GT Road to Uttarpara, people are being stopped from moving freely. Where is police? Where is the administration? This is absolutely shameful. There appears to be no freedom — no right to work, no right to vote, no democratic right to speak, and no freedom of movement. Even the court’s order is not being respected,” Ghosh said.Before leaving for the rally, Banerjee condemned the attack and accused BJP workers of involvement. “They are not allowing people to come out. They are virtually preventing us from leaving our homes. I have never seen anything like this. BJP workers and hooligans are blocking roads and there is no sign of police anywhere. This is happening with the support of the police administration,” Banerjee told reporters outside her Kalighat home.BJP, however, blamed Trinamool’s “infighting” for the attack on Ghosh’s car. “Those who attacked Ghosh’s car are not BJP workers. Those who have been denied and those who are frustrated are behind the attack,” BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said.Akhruzzaman, Raghunathganj MLA and a prominent member of the Ritrabrata Banerjee camp, alleged the attack was carried out by the “Kalighat camp” itself.Ghosh’s car finally made an about-turn and drove straight to West Bengal Police headquarters at Bhawani Bhavan, Kolkata. The Beleghata MLA wanted to drive into the complex but was denied entry. He then tried to walk in but was not allowed to do so either.“I have already sent an email to the DG and CP of Chandannagar commissionerate. I had come to Bhawani Bhawan to meet an officer and show him the state of the damaged car and take suggestion on how to preserve the evidence but no one met me,” he told waiting newspersons.A senior officer of Chandannagar police commissionerate said Ghosh was playing up the incident. “We have started an investigation. As per preliminary investigation, it was a minor blockade and we are checking if the men were from his own party,” the officer said.Following the incident, Mamata Banerjee took an alternative route to reach Serampore for her rally. A police vehicle accompanied her convoy and she reached the venue without any disruption.
