Union minister alleges attacks on BJP rally in Nandigram; seeks deployment of paramilitary forces

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, on Thursday, claimed that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers attacked BJP's Nandigram candidate Suvendu Adhikari's rally, and made an appeal to the  Election Commission to deploy paramilitary forces in Nandigram.

According to ANI, asking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to fight the elections in a democratic way, Pradhan, who was in Nandigram, said, "After Suvendu Adhikari's 'padayatra' started today, our Yuva Morcha leader was attacked here, in front of me. Appeal to the Election Commission to deploy paramilitary force here."

According to NDTV, the Union minister said when he saw the Yuva Morcha leader bleeding after the attack, he took him to the hospital and added that he may need to be taken to a specialized hospital.

He claimed that there has been two incidents of violence on Thursday. The minister said there was a crude bomb attack in the morning in which the Yuva Morcha worker was injured and another attack on the rally of Adhikari. "This constituency is going through a sensitive phase. Our worker is in  serious condition and I have been told that even in front of the hospital, there are TMC goons. Since morning, such incidents are taking place,"  he said.

Further, he said as many as 130 workers of the BJP were killed in the violence unleashed by the TMC. 

Nandigram assembly constituency is set for a high octane battle with Banerjee deciding to contest the seat against Adhikari, who switched over to the saffron camp in December last year. Banerjee has left her Bhowanipore constituency in Kolkata to contest the Nandigram seat. The anti-land acquisition movement there had catapulted her party to power in 2011. Adhikari won the Nandigram seat in the 2016 assembly election, while another TMC candidate emerged victorious from the constituency in 2011.

Nandigram is scheduled to go to polls on April 1.

—With PTI inputs