Left trying to create strife: Trinamool Congress

The opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Sunday demanded the arrest of Trinamool Congress legislator Arabul Islam who, it alleged, had led an attack on CPI-M leader and former minister Abdur Rezzak Molla.

Molla was admitted to a hospital here with injuries after he was allegedly attacked by Trinamool Congress members led by legislator Arabul Islam at South 24 Parganas' Bhangar Sunday morning.

The CPI-M immediately issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the state government to arrest Islam.

Terming the incident as a mere "scuffle", Trinamool Congress leader and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said the brawl was provoked by the CPI-M leader and he was now "resting" in hospital after creating a "drama".

"Police advised Molla not to go to Bhangar, where the Trinamool Congress was holding a public rally. He forcibly tried to enter the area and abused our party leadership. That led to the scuffle," Hakim told a media conference.

Rejecting the CPI-M's demand for Islam's arrest, Hakim said: "If someone is arrested for a scuffle, then all the people present, including Rezzak Molla, should have been arrested."

Hakim added that "there has been a continuous process by the CPI-M to create disturbances at different places. Today's incident was part of that".

Earlier, CPI-M leader Surya Kanta Mishra accused Islam of leading the attack on Molla at Bhangar.

"(They) assaulted Molla when he went to Bhangar to visit our party office, which was set on fire by Trinamool Congress workers last night," Mishra said.

Hospital sources said Molla was injured in his lower lip.

The Congress and the BJP also condemned the incident. West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Pradip Bhattacharya has demanded the arrest of the Trinamool Congress legislator.