Trinamool Congress, Bimal Gurung's Party Plotted Attack On My Convoy: Dilip Ghosh

A day after his convoy was attacked with stones in West Bengal's Alipurduar district, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh on Friday alleged that members of the ruling TMC and the Bimal Gurung-led faction of the GJM had hatched a conspiracy to carry out an attack on him.

Mr Ghosh told reporters that the TMC has now joined hands with forces it had once labelled as "anti-national", with an eye on three assembly seats in the Hills.

He also claimed that the Mamata Banerjee-led party was "distributing money" in the Hills and the Dooars area to increase its influence and support base in the region.

"It was all pre-planned (attack on convoy). The TMC leadership knew about it and the police did not take any action to prevent this," Mr Ghosh said.

The BJP leadership also accused the TMC of unleashing terror in the Hills and the plains.

"Our workers are not scared... we are not scared. We will continue to hit the streets. People are with us. We will ensure they get to vote freely," Mr Ghosh insisted.

He said several national leaders of the BJP reached out to him and inquired about his well being after Thursdays incident, which left his vehicle partially damaged.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remark ''Maut ka khel se mat nahi mil sakta'' (game of death cannot get you votes), the state BJP chief said, "A day after the honourable PM made this comment, one of our activists were killed in Purba Medinipur, and my convoy was attacked. These are telltale signs."

Stones were hurled and black flags shown at Mr Ghosh's convoy at Jaigaon area in Alipurduar district on Thursday, where he had gone to attend party programmes, police said.

Several Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) activists were seen raising slogans against Mr Ghosh, asking him to leave.

A team of police officers, however, brought the situation under control, after forcing the protesters and the saffron camp supporters to disperse.

Protesting the treatment meted out to Ghosh in north Bengal, members of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha took out rallies in several parts of the state, later in the day.