West Bengal minister Subrata Saha and a ruling Trinamool Congress MLA were attacked by a mob in a suspected factional fight of the party in Murshidabad district on Wednesday evening.
A police officer said the minister of state for food processing and horticulture and Jiban Krishna Saha, who is the local MLA, escaped unhurt in the attack that took place in Burwan constituency.
Shortly after they came out of a house at Bipra Sekhar locality after meeting a family which lost six of its members in a recent road accident, the mob threw bricks at Saha's vehicle damaging its window glass.
"Police officers who were present there escorted them to safety. We have started an investigation into the matter," the IPS officer said.
At least 12 people were detained for their alleged involvement in the attack.
The incident is suspected to be the result of a factional fight of the TMC.
The police officer said a meeting of the party was going on in a nearby place and those present there attacked them.
"A group of anti-socials attacked us. I don't know who were they," the minister who is a former Murshidabad district president of the TMC told reporters later.
State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who hails from the district, claimed that it is a clear case of infighting within the TMC.
"The TMC's factional fights are taking place everywhere in the state. The police should look into them," Mr Chowdhury said.
The minister was treated for shock in a hospital but he is otherwise unhurt. He was discharged later, police said.
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