Kathmandu— Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee stated on Tuesday that she experienced chest pain after a stone, which she described as a “large brick,” was thrown at her vehicle during a convoy attack on Sunday while traveling to North 24 Parganas to visit the family of a deceased party worker. Accompanied by Members of Parliament Kalyan Banerjee and Dola Sen, Banerjee also accused law enforcement agencies of partisan bias, alleging they selectively target TMC members and collaborate with BJP workers to intimidate party officials. The incident occurred amidst ongoing political tensions in West Bengal.

Convoy Attack and Physical Discomfort

Banerjee addressed the media at Kolkata’s Shyambazar 5 Point Crossing, explaining that she was initially hesitant to attend a scheduled event due to her physical discomfort following the attack. She ultimately decided to participate in order to show support for her party's digital wing. “The stone that was thrown at our car, the large brick, because of that, I had pain in my chest,” Banerjee said. “Even today, I was not ready to come, but still, we thought that this programme belongs to our IT team, so why shouldn’t we go? That is why we have come.”

Allegations of Police Bias

Beyond the physical attack, Banerjee leveled strong accusations against law enforcement. She claimed police were selectively arresting TMC members while overlooking offenses committed by others. “Whom to arrest or not arrest is the police's job,” she remarked. “The police’s job is only to arrest Trinamool Congress.” Banerjee further alleged that police personnel actively aided BJP workers in intimidating TMC members at party offices, specifically mentioning an incident involving Upasana and Priyanka.

BJP Denies Involvement

West Bengal Transport Minister Arjun Singh refuted claims of BJP involvement in the attack on Banerjee’s convoy. He attributed the incident to local grievances stemming from past events, suggesting that those who threw stones were reacting to previous destruction and looting of their homes. “Our party is against it,” Singh stated. “They did so because their homes were being looted and demolished. There was no BJP program there; no one from the BJP was present.” He clarified that no BJP event was taking place at the location.

The allegations made by Banerjee are likely to further escalate political tensions in West Bengal, with both TMC and BJP offering contrasting narratives of the incident.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.