BJP's Darjeeling MP Raju Bista alleges attack by TMC workers, says WB Police took no action

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Darjeeling Raju Bista on Tuesday alleged that he was attacked in Kalimpong district of West Bengal, allegedly by supporters of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM)'s Binoy Tamang faction. 

Bista said he was there to attend the Golden Jubilee of a school where he was invited as the chief guest when he was attacked by "TMC supporters with Khukuri, Knives and pelted heavy Stones."

"Today there was an assassination attempt on me. I was on my way to inaugurate a new school building in Sinji, Kalimpong when drunk TMC supporters attacked me with Khukuri, Knives and pelted heavy Stones," Bista said on Twitter, tagging Prime Minister's Office and Home Minister Amit Shah. 

"Sinji Primary School was to celebrate their Golden Jubilee and I was invited as the Chief Guest. This was a purely non-political program. But TMC Goons attacked my convoy to prevent me from reaching the venue," he added. 

The BJP MP alleged that many volunteers and his PSO were injured in the incident. 

BJP MP from #Darjeeling @RajuBistaBJP shown black flags at Kalimpong today. Stones were pelted, his security guard suffered injuries. Bista claims GJM Binoy Tamang faction behind the attack @dna @ZeeNews @WIONews pic.twitter.com/JxhVnJEbng

— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) October 22, 2019

"Needless to say West Bengal Police stood aside and didn’t take any action to prevent this attack on me," the BJP MP said. 

"I had informed WB Police DGP, WB Home Secretary, Kalimpong SP about the potential attack on me, and had requested them to increase security so that any untoward incident could be averted. But like always, WB Police and Home Department didn’t do anything. The fact that this attack took place within 60kms radius of WB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is also visiting the hills, is telling of abysmal law and order situation in West Bengal," he further said. 

"Democracy for all intent and purpose in dead in West Bengal. BUT I refused to be cowered, I refuse to give in to the bully tactics of TMC. I avow to get this glorious land of Dal Bahadur Giri, Ari Bahadur Gurung, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, Swamy Vivekananda, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore rid of this undemocratic, dictatorial and murderous TMC party," he said in a series of tweets. 

He later alleged that the police was now arresting BJP workers for protesting against the attack in Siliguri while "those who attacked are roaming free and probably under Police protection."

A statement from the West Bengal Police and the Trinamool Congress was awaited.