'Attackers planned to kill us': Injured Bengal BJP MP

Kolkata, Oct 9 (IANS) In his first reaction to the deadly attack, West Bengal BJP MP Khagen Murmu said on Thursday that the attackers had actually planned to kill him and the BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh during their visit to the flood-affected area in Nagrakata of Jalpaiguri district.

Currently admitted to a private hospital in North Bengal’s Siliguri, the BJP MP said that had they not got out of there, they would not have survived.

“There was a plan to kill us together. They even tried to drag us out of the car. They could not do it. If they had pulled us out, they would have crushed our heads with stones and killed us,” the BJP MP said, who will undergo surgery on his face as his facial bones were broken following the stone attack.

On Monday, Khagen Murmu and Shankar Ghosh faced protests when they went to provide relief to the flood-affected area in Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district.

A large number of people attacked the BJP leaders with sticks and shoes. Stones were picked up from the river and hurled at their car.

Khagen Murmu sustained serious injuries to his face, and both politicians were later admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Although Shankar Ghaoh was released on Wednesday, Khagen Murmu is still undergoing treatment as he will undergo surgery, and a metal plate is likely to be fitted on his left cheekbone.

Meanwhile, responding to Murmu’s allegations, senior Trinamool leader and North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said that to say that there was a plot to kill him or that he could have been killed is actually a tall claim.

“If someone wanted to kill him, why would he sustain injury only on his cheek? He is reading from a script prepared for him by his party,” Guha said.

He pointed out that Trinamool has already condemned the attack, adding that his party has said that this incident was not right.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have also condemned the attack on BJP leaders.

The BJP lodged a complaint against eight people at Nagrakata Police Station in Jalpaiguri district. Based on the complaint, the police have arrested four people in connection with the incident.

However, after the incident, Trinamool Congress issued a statement saying that their workers were not involved in the Nagrakata incident. They also condemned the attack. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Murmu at the hospital, a day after the incident.

--IANS

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