Bengal CM says if needed, she will resume campaigning on a wheelchair; TMC claims conspiracy to take her life
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee admitted at SSKM hospital after suffering injuries during her Nandigram visit on Wednesday. Pic/PTI
She lay on a hospital bed, her left foot in plaster cast strung to an iron stand, but an “immobilised” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday had West Bengal in ferment as supporters of her ruling TMC and rival BJP clashed over the alleged attack on her at Nandigram the day before.
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She urged her supporters to maintain peace and not do anything that would cause problems to the public. In a video message from the hospital bed, she said she would be back for the poll campaign in a few days and use a wheelchair if needed.
“I would appeal to my party cadres, supporters, activist and common people to maintain peace and calm. It is true that I was badly hurt last night and felt severe pain in the chest and head. The doctors are looking after me,” she said. Banerjee’s appeal to her supporters came amid widespread protests by TMC workers across the state. TMC activists blocked roads, burnt tyres and raised slogans, blaming the BJP for the ‘attack’.
Condition stable
Doctors treating Banerjee said her health condition is stable but she has severe pain in her injured left leg and has a low sodium concentration in blood. She will be under strict observation for the time being, they said. “The chief minister has severe bony injuries in her left ankle and foot, besides injuries in right shoulder, forearm and neck. She is stable now but is having severe pain in the injured leg,” a senior doctor at the state-run SSKM Hospital said.
‘Conspiracy to kill her’
The TMC has slammed the Election Commission for failing to provide proper security to Banerjee. Claiming that the attack was a ‘deep-rooted conspiracy to take the life of TMC supremo’, the TMC leaders said anti- social elements have been mobilised from the neighbouring states by the BJP in Nandigram to unleash violence.
EC taking orders from BJP
Accusing the EC of acting ‘as per orders’ of the BJP leaders, the TMC delegation, after meeting the EC officials, alleged that the EC ‘did nothing despite there being reports of a possible attack on Banerjee’. A delegation of the BJP also met EC officials here and demanded a thorough probe into the incident in which Banerjee got injured in Nandigram the previous day.
The EC had on Tuesday ordered removal of Virendra as director-general of police of the poll-bound state with immediate effect and appointed P Nirajnayan in his place. Claiming that several comments by senior BJP leaders had dropped enough hints that Banerjee might be attacked, TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said “despite having those inputs the CM was left with no proper security”. “The EC is acting as per orders of the BJP leaders. The BJP is asking the EC to remove an official, and they are removing him.”
BJP demands CBI inquiry
The BJP demanded a CBI inquiry over the alleged assault to ascertain if the incident was “staged”. The Bengal BJP said the party will not indulge in any politics over her injuries, and called for a comprehensive probe into the incident, as she had alleged conspiracy behind it. Meanwhile, a case has been registered at Nandigram over the alleged attack under IPC Sections 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), a senior police officer of the Purba Medinipur district said.
TMC postpones manifesto release
The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday decided to postpone the release of its manifesto for the upcoming elections in West Bengal, following the alleged attack on CM Mamata Banerjee, party leaders said on Thursday.
Banerjee, the party’s chairperson, was scheduled to release the manifesto in the afternoon at her residence in Kalighat.
“The manifesto release has been postponed for the time being. It will be released after Mamata Banerjee gets well and is back home. Although our manifesto is ready, there is no question of releasing it without her,” a senior TMC leader said. West Bengal will be voting in eight phases, beginning March 27. The votes will be counted on May 2.
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