TMC, CPI(M) trade allegations after attack on Mamata

The attack on Mamata Banerjee and West Bengal state Finance Minister Amit Mitra, has had repercussions in both Delhi and West Bengal. Mamata has canceled her appointment with P Chidambaram and will return to Kolkata, while in the state CPI(M)offices have been attacked, purportedly by angry TMC members. And both parties have not lost the opportunity to blame each other. Blaming the CPI(M) for the attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee outside the Planning Commission, Trinamool Congress MP Mukul Roy said that it was a ‘planned attack.’ “CPI(M) goons in the name of SFI manhandled Mamata Banerjee and Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra,” Roy told reporters. The former Railway Minister called the attacks ‘undemocratic’ and said that it was pre-planned by the opposition CPI(M). “Now that Bengal’s growth is improving, and everyone is praising the state, CPI(M) leaders are trying to create an undemocratic situation and disrupt peace in the state,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_693330” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mukul Roy. Reuters[/caption] Meanwhile, West Bengal governor MK Narayanan also condemned the attack on the Bengal chief Minister in Delhi. “The attack was pre-meditated, a blot on democratic values,” he said. Left leader Sitaram Yechury disapproved and condemned the incident of manhandling Amit Mitra and said they are investigating as to how it happened. However, he said, that the TMC is using the incident to unleash more violence and are trying to create terror prior to the local bodies election. “This is being used as a pretext to attack dozens of CPI(M) offices across the state. Scores of party workers have been injured. The TMC charge that we are attacking our own offices is preposterous,” he said, adding that the party was trying to distract attention from the real issue, which was the custodial death of 22-year-old SFI leader Sudipto Gupta. A number of CPI(M) and SFI offices had reportedly been attacked across the state. The TMC, however, has denied being responsible for the protests in West Bengal, and said the CPI(M) had ransacked their own offices. After the incident outside the Planning Commission, Banerjee was treated by doctors for elevated heartbeat, and later oxygen cylinders were dispatched to her hotel room after she complained of breathing difficulties. A livid Banerjee had screamed at the Planning Commission officials soon after the incident and questioned why adequate security wasn’t provided.