BJP team to visit Bengal over attacks on its supporters

In the wake of attacks on its supporters across West Bengal allegedly by the ruling Trinamool Congress, a central BJP team will arrive in the state to take stock of the situation, state party chief Rahul Sinha said here Thursday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday held statewide mass protests at police stations against incidents of violence, including the Tuesday attack in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district in which at least 26 of its activists received "bullet injuries".

"I had a talk with central Home Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh and informed him about the attacks on our supporters and activists by Trinamool goons.

"A central team headed by Meenakshi Lekhi will be arriving here to take stock of the situation and decide what action needs to be taken," Sinha told reporters.

He said the team, which is expected to arrive either Friday or Saturday, will also visit Sandeshkhali.

"Today (Thursday) we are holding mass protests at police stations across the state to protest against the attack on our activists including the Sandeshkhali incident where 26 of our people received bullet injuries," said Sinha.

Babul Supriyo, newly elected BJP MP from Asansol, accused the Trinamool of using police as its "party cadres".

"The Trinamool has shamelessly turned the police into a tool of oppression. Our party activists are being assaulted in front of police but they are doing nothing. In fact police are behaving like Trinamool cadres," said Supriyo.

Supriyo said the BJP would hold a meeting in Delhi Thursday to discuss the attacks on its cadres in West Bengal.

"Siddharth Nath Singh, who is the party in-charge of West Bengal and Rajnath Singh will meet in the evening (Thursday) to decide what needs to be done about these attacks," added Supriyo.