Suvendu Adhikari names Bengal Minister, 40 others in complaint on convoy attack

Kolkata, Aug 6 (IANS) Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has named 41 people, including a high-profile member of the state cabinet, in his complaint on the attack on his convoy at Cooch Behar town in North Bengal.

The member of the cabinet named in the complaint by Adhikari’s counsel filed at the office of Cooch Behar District Police Superintendent Dyutiman Bhattacharya, is the Minister of State in charge of the North Bengal Development department, Udayan Guha.

Meanwhile, Cooch Behar district police informed on Wednesday that the total number of arrests in connection with the attack on Adhikari’s convoy has increased to seven from three as of Tuesday evening.

Reacting to the development, Minister Guha stated that the identities of those arrested in connection with the case demonstrate that the allegations made by Adhikari since Tuesday afternoon -- claiming that the attack on his convoy was carried out by illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators -- are unfounded.

"His claims were baseless. Not a single Rohingya or Bangladeshi Muslim has been arrested, nor were their names mentioned in the police complaint. He should apologise for his comments. Those who will show disrespect to Bengalis and the Bengali language will be shown black flags," said Guha.

Adhikari's convoy was attacked on Tuesday at Cooch Behar town in North Bengal after he reached there to participate in a scheduled protest rally.

The LoP, along with 65 other party legislators, was scheduled to march through the Cooch Behar town to the office of the district police superintendent and submit a memorandum on the attacks on elected BJP representatives in the district in the recent past.

As the convoy of the LoP reached Khagrabari in Cooch Behar town, a group of people rushed from the sides and tried to block the vehicles. Fortunately, the LoP did not receive any injury because of the bulletproof glass of the vehicle in which he was travelling. The BJP later said that the attackers were Trinamool Congress activists.

--IANS

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