A day after BJP MP Khagen Murmu and party MLA Shankar Ghosh were attacked by a mob during their visit to flood-hit people in the Dooars region of West Bengal, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said Lok Sabha Speaker has issued a notice to the state government seeking an ‘urgent report’ on the incident.
Rijiju, who reached Darjeeling to take stock of the situation in north Bengal following the devastation caused by Saturday night’s rains, said that if the TMC government delayed in submitting the report, then action under required rules and law would be taken.
Rijiju’s remark came amid a political slugfest between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Banerjee over Monday’s assault on BJP leaders. After PM Modi had called the attack “outright appalling”, the chief minister accused him of “politicising a natural disaster”.
“A notice has been sent by the Lok Sabha Speaker to the West Bengal government seeking an urgent report on the issue. If the state government delays, then under the privilege we will take action and as per the rule, an investigation will be conducted,” said Rijiju, who holds the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio in the Union Cabinet.
“Not only the MPs and the MLAs, all the citizens should get security. In Bharat, there is law and order, a system… People taking law into their hands and attacking an MP… this is unacceptable. We want the state government to quickly submit a ground report so that we can conduct the investigation soon,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met the injured BJP MP at a private hospital in Siliguri. She, however, did not meet BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh, who is also admitted in the same hospital.
After meeting Murmu, the chief minister said it was a “courtesy” visit. “I heard he got injured and came to see him. He is stable now. He is a diabetic, and that is why doctors are keeping him under observation. He has a minor injury near his ear,” the CM told mediapersons.
Soon after the CM’s visit, the Trinamool Congress in a post on X wrote: “When adversity strikes, humanity must rise above politics. Smt. @MamataOfficial embodies this very ethos. Today, she visited BJP MP Khagen Murmu in the hospital, personally inquiring about his health and well-being.”
The state unit of the BJP, however, has demanded an NIA probe into the assault and alleged that “Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators” could be behind the attack on the party MP and MLA.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said that he would move the Calcutta High if the police failed to arrest the accused.
“An FIR was filed yesterday (Monday) itself against the eight who could be identified. But till now, no arrests have been made,” Adhikari said.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya alleged that the attack was premeditated, and demanded an NIA probe.
“If they feel that they can attack the BJP by using Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators, this cannot go on. No arrests have been made. A tribal MP was attacked in the presence of police. The Prime Minister and Home Minister are monitoring the situation. The TMC has done this in a fully planned and premeditated manner. If no action is taken, the BJP will go as far as it can to get justice. We demand an NIA probe,” Bhattacharya said.
Questioning as to why no one was arrested in connection with the attack, Bhattacharya said, “Mamata Banerjee went to see Khagen Murmu’s condition, that is fine, but what action has been taken after the attack on our MP and MLA.”
