ATTACK ON TMC MINISTER PART OF CONSPIRACY: MAMATA; CID TO PROBE CASE
KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday alleged the bomb attack on state minister Jakir Hossain was part of a conspiracy as certain people were “pressuring” him to switch over to another party, even as the state government handed over the probe in the case to the CID.
Banerjee, who went to the SSKM hospital to inquire after his condition following Wednesday’s incident, slammed the railways for its “lack lusture” way of functioning. “It was a preplanned attack on minister Jakir Hossain. Some people have claimed the blast was remote controlled. It is a conspiracy. Some people (party) were pressuring Jakir Hossian to join them for the last few months. I don’t want to disclose anything more as investigation is on,” Banerjee told reporters.
The BJP leadership, meanwhile, slammed Banerjee for trying to divert public attention from the failures of the state government. “The incident proves that law and order has ceased to exist. Does the railways run the state? Such theories won’t help,” state BJP vice president Jaiprakash Majumdar said.
The state government on handed over the investigation into the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Hossain was seriously injured after unidentified attackers hurled a crude bomb at him at Nimtita railway station in Murshidabad district on Wednesday.
At least two other persons were also injured in the incident which occurred ahead of the assembly election in the state due in April-may this year.
Hossain was brought to the SSKM Hospital here on Thursday morning and admitted to the Trauma Care Unit, state minister Firhad Hakim said. “The investigation has been handed over to the CID. A team of forensic experts have visited the spot this morning,” a police officer said.