BJP MP Khagen Murmu and party MLA Shankar Ghosh were injured after a mob attacked them at Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district on Monday during their visit to flood and landslide-affected people in the Dooars region of West Bengal.

Murmu, the Lok Sabha MP from Malda Uttar, has reportedly suffered serious injuries and has been admitted to a private hospital in Siliguri.

Calling the attack “outright appalling”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it reflected the “insensitivity” of the TMC government as well as the “absolutely pathetic law and order situation in the state”.

“The manner in which our Party colleagues, including a sitting MP and MLA, were attacked in West Bengal for serving the people affected by floods and landslides is outright appalling. It highlights the insensitivity of the TMC as well as the absolutely pathetic law and order situation in the state,” the PM posted on X.

“I wish the West Bengal Government and TMC were more focused on helping people rather than indulging in violence in such a challenging situation. I call upon BJP Karyakartas to continue working among the people and assist the ongoing rescue operations,” the PM added.

Videos of the incident show a mob surrounding the convoy of the BJP leaders and hurling stones at them, along with ‘go away BJP’ chant. The vehicle’s windshield was smashed, and Murmu was seen bleeding from the head.

Speaking to mediapersons, Ghosh, who is an MLA from Siliguri, described the attack as “horrifying”, and said, “It was around 1 pm when we were visiting the area. Murmu and I got out of the car and started overseeing the damage caused by floods and heavy rains. Suddenly, a mob surrounded us. They said they were Didi’s sainik and asked what we were doing there. We said we are Modi-ji’s sainik… They started abusing us, then attacked from behind. Khagen-da was hit on the head, and I barely escaped by ducking inside the seat. Murmu’s security immediately put us both in the car.”

“There is nothing left of the car. My entire body is covered with glass shards. Murmu was bleeding profusely,” said Ghosh, who has also been admitted to the hospital.

Accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of “orchestrating” the attack, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said: “Mamata Banerjee is in full panic mode. She has realised it quite late that the people of West Bengal despised her inhuman act of dancing at Puja Carnival with celebrities when North Bengal was reeling under floods and landslides.”

Adhikari was referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee taking part in Puja Carnival in Kolkata on Sunday evening, hours after rain and landslides killed more than 20 people in the Darjeeling hills.

“In contrast, BJP MLAs and MPs were on the ground, doing their bit to provide relief to the affected people. So, she has now pressed the panic button and has unleashed her goons to stop our leaders from engaging in relief work… Mamata Banerjee, you can’t intimidate BJP…” Adhikari wrote on X.

Meanwhile, BJP MP and union minister Sukanta Majumdar alleged that the mob attacked the party leaders in the “presence of the Mamata-police”.

“Failed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who, even after receiving news yesterday of the catastrophic devastation in North Bengal and the tragic loss of many lives, was seen celebrating the Puja Carnival stage. She has clearly shown how fearful she has become of the BJP’s workers and leaders who have been tirelessly conducting rescue and relief operations on the ground since yesterday… From yesterday until today, the people of Bengal will punish every one of your immoral and inhuman acts of brutality. Shame!”, he posted.

Responding to the allegations, senior TMC leader and North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha called the incident “self-inflicted.” “First of all, we do not support any form of violence. But whatever happened today is the BJP’s own doing. At a time when people are suffering, BJP leaders arrived with a convoy of 10-plus cars just for photo-ops without a single relief item. Local people got agitated. This is the result of the BJP’s misdeeds. You deprive people first and then visit for optics,” Guha said.

Echoing similar views, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the party does not support any form of violence.

“What happened today is entirely the result of the BJP’s own actions. While ordinary people are suffering terribly, BJP leaders went there with a convoy of more than ten cars just for a photo shoot without carrying any relief materials. Naturally, the local people became agitated. This incident is a direct consequence of the BJP’s long history of wrongdoing and neglect of people’s needs,” he said.

Ghosh said TMC workers have been tirelessly helping people on the ground from the very beginning, not just posting on social media like BJP’s warriors, but actually standing by the affected people.

TMC IT cell head Debangshu Bhattacharya claimed, “There were no party flags. It was the outburst of the common man. If someone wants to put in a line that those who assaulted were TMC sainiks, that is their wish.”

With PTI