Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh’s car was attacked on Monday in East Midnapore where he arrived in the morning with a contingent of 10- 12 cars to attend a meeting. Ten party men were injured in the attack near Janamangal Hall close to the Contai bus terminus. Among the injured, conditions of three persons are stated to be critical. They have been admitted to the Contai state general hospital.

Ghosh claimed that the attack at Contai was the “handiwork” of Trinamul Congress workers, a charge denied by the ruling party. Trinamul Congress local MP Dibyendu Adhikari denied the allegation saying it was a fall out of factional feuds of the BJP.

The BJP state president accused Adhikari, younger brother of state transport minister Subhendu Adhikari and son of Lok Sabha MP Sishir Adhikari, of being behind the attacks.

“Stones and bricks were thrown at our workers for 15 minutes. At least 10 of our men were injured and a few had to be hospitalised. As many as 30 motorbikes were damaged. My vehicle was attacked from all sides,” Ghosh said.

He said the TMC plotted conspiracy to terrorize BJP supporters everywhere. “Series of attacks were perpetrated, in which some of our activists sacrificed their lives. But they cannot dominate our political will to combat TMC’s anarchy in Bengal. This time the TMC goons unleashed violence in presence of the police and MP. This depicts the sick picture of democracy here.

Rejecting the allegation, Adhikari said it was unfortunate the BJP chief was blaming him when he was not there during the trouble. Trinamul workers were not involved in the clash that actually took place between two factions of the BJP, both of which were trying to nominate its mondal sabhapati.

“BJP organised the meeting in a hall that is run by the municipality under the control of our party. We gave them permission to hold the meeting. I was present at a Viswakarma Puja celebration close by. I rushed to the spot after hearing that my party men were assaulted,” he claimed.

According to local residents, Ghosh had gone to attend a BJP meet in Janamangal Samiti meeting hall near Contai bus stand. A TMC party office is located right in front of the hall.

Ghosh was shown black flags while entering the venue of the party meeting, following which a clash broke out between the two sides. The miscreants broke the window panes of the state BJP president’s car.

It led to a scuffle between workers of the two parties and around 15 cars were vandalised in the process. Several people from both sides were injured. Ghosh was escorted out of the trouble scene by his security men. So far no one has been arrested. Police is trying to ensure that law and order situation doesn’t deteriorate.

Over the past few months, the BJP and the Trinamul Congress supporters have been trading allegations of attacking each other.

The last time Ghosh was allegedly attacked was on 8 August when some miscreants had thrown stones at his car in the Khatra area of Bankura district when he was on his way back after having dinner at the house of a party worker. Though Ghosh escaped unhurt, his car was damaged. Ghosh said the party was unperturbed and ready to face any attack.

“These attacks are strengthening our determination to fight the terror of the TMC-backed miscreants and its accomplice police. I have been attacked seven times in the several places of the West Bengal, but our party won polls seven times,” he said.

CPI-M central committee member and MLA Sujan Chakraborty said TMC has no political courtesy and there is no safety and security of the Opposition party leaders, MLAs and even MPs in the Bengal. “TMC-backed goons unhesitatingly attack Opposition leaders and MLAs anywhere. As Narendra Modi-led government is keeping mum over attack on the Opposition leaders in Delhi, here TMC is ruling the state following Mr Modi’s footstep,” he said.

The Trinamul Congress activists who ransacked Ghosh’s vehicle at Contai today are following in the footsteps of the supporters of the saffron outfit all over the country, leader of the Oppostion in the state Assembly, Abdul Mannan said during the day.

“We condemn the acts of violence of both the political parties who abhor the presence of the Opposition, he added. Have not the BJP activists tried to disrupt the meeting of Congress president, Rahul Gandhi,” Mannan said. Both Trinamul and BJP should realise their actions are not in conformity with democratic practices and mend their ways, he added.