Darjeeling BJP MP Alleges Attack by TMC, GJM Members; Both Refute

The Tamang faction of GJM and the TMC have denied the charges as baseless and politically motivated.

(Photo Courtesy: Screenshot of video shared by Raju Bista)

The BJP MP of Darjeeling Raju Bista was on Tuesday, 22 October, shown a black flag and his car was attacked in West Bengal's Kalimpong district by alleged activists of TMC and Binay Tamang faction of the GJM.

The Tamang faction of GJM and the TMC have denied the charges as baseless and politically motivated.

A police contingent arrived at the spot and dispersed the mob.

The incident took place at a time when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is on a tour of north Bengal.

She is scheduled to arrive in Kalimpong after her administrative meeting in Siliguri.

According to sources, the incident took place on Tuesday afternoon when Bista, along with his personal security officer (PSO) and two other officials, was on his way to Kalimpong.

"When I arrived at Sinji area of Kalimpong to inaugurate a primary school, hundreds of supporters of Binay Tamang surrounded my car and raised slogans against against me and the BJP government. They waved black flags and banged on my car. Then all of a sudden they started pelting stones on it. When I tried to pacify them they threw stones at my PSO," Bista told PTI over phone.

A huge police contingent rushed to the spot and controlled the situation. It started investigation into it.

Reacting to the allegations, Suraj, a senior GJM leader of the Tamang faction, said none of its activists were involved in the incident.

“May be locals were angry with Bista as he has done nothing for the hills in the past six months after getting elected. But none of our cadres were involved in the incident.”

Suraj, Senior GJM Leader

Senior TMC leader Gautam Deb also denied the allegation of involvement of party cadres in the incident.

Later in the evening Bista in a statement said people in Darjeeling have rejected the politics of TMC. “Now Mamata Banerjee’s goons are using violent methods to attack our public representatives,” he said.

"In today's Bengal none of the opposition public representatives are safe as they are being attacked, tortured and humiliated by the administration and TMC goons," he said.