Convoy of Trinamool Congress’s (TMC)national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee was attacked in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district on Friday by Kurmi protesters. His convoy was passing through the tribal-dominated village of Salboni when the protesters attacked it, reported news agency IANS. The Kurmis in West Bengal have been demanding scheduled tribe status for the community and have resorted to protests in the state.
The rear glass of the vehicle of West Bengal minister Birbaha Hansda was totally smashed on being hit by bricks thrown at the convoy by the agitating Kurmi protesters. They also shouted “thief, thief” slogans while the convoy was passing through the area.
“I personally hail from a tribal background. This is not the way of protest. We have been parts of several movements before. This is simple hooliganism. I will see it through to the end,” Hansda was quoted as saying by the news agency.
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The minister also alleged Kurmi protesters of beating up the Trinamool Congress workers who were part of the convoy.
Hansda also took on opposition parties BJP and the CPI-M for “instigating” Kurmi protesters to carry out the attack.
“Trinamool Congress had never opposed the movement of the Kurmi community in demand for scheduled tribe status. Then why is the attack on our convoy. This cannot be the nature of any caste movement,” she said, as reported by IANS.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is supposed to address a political rally at Salboni area on Saturday, May 27.
Last month, several organisations of the Kurmi community had staged a protest for more than three days and blocked railway tracks and roads demanding the inclusion of the Kurmi community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list.