Man thrashed for failing to answer queries on PM, nat'l anthem

A man was allegedly assaulted by four persons in a moving train in West Bengal, after he failed to reply to their queries on the prime minister and the national anthem, police said today.

The victim,, a migrant labourer, was on his way to Kaliachak in Malda district from Howrah on May 14, when the four persons got into the train and sat next to his seat after he had briefly deboarded at a station, a police officer said.

Upon his arrival, they suddenly started asking him questions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the national anthem and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he said, adding, the man was roughed up when he could not reply to the queries.

The group later got down at Bandel station.

A local NGO - Bangla Sankriti Mancha - lodged an FIR yesterday against the accused, based on videos taken by co-passengers, Kaliachak Police Station Inspector-in-Charge Suman Chatterjee said.

An investigation into the matter is underway, Chatterjee said.