Political storm in flood-hit Bengal as Mamata meets injured BJP MP, party alleges 'jihadi' link

Siliguri/ New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) The political row over the attack on two BJP leaders in flood and landslide-hit north Bengal flared up on Tuesday, as the Centre sought answers from the TMC government and the saffron camp alleged that "jihadi elements" were behind the assault, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met injured BJP MP Khagen Murmu in hospital.

The spiralling confrontation came on a day when the death toll from last week's devastating landslides and flash floods in Darjeeling district climbed to 32, with several people still missing and thousands stranded across the battered hills and plains.

In a surprise visit, Banerjee met Murmu at a private hospital in Siliguri, where the Malda Uttar MP is undergoing treatment for serious facial injuries sustained in Monday's mob assault at Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district and enquired about his health.

The hospital visit came hours after the Lok Sabha Secretariat sought a factual note within three days from the Union Home Ministry on the attack.

Parliament officials said the Secretariat has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs to obtain a "factual note" from the West Bengal government within three days.

Television visuals showed Banerjee entering the hospital and speaking softly to the injured parliamentarian and his family.

"Do you have diabetes? Are you taking insulin and medicines regularly?" she was heard asking Murmu, before consulting doctors and assuring that the government would extend all necessary help.

"If you need any assistance or further treatment elsewhere, please let me know," Banerjee told the family.

However, she did not meet Siliguri MLA Sankar Ghosh, who was also injured in the attack and shares a frosty relationship with the chief minister following repeated assembly clashes.

While the BJP welcomed Banerjee's visit as a "political courtesy", it questioned the "inaction" of the police.

"It is appalling that even after 24 hours, not a single arrest has been made. The culprits are roaming free," said state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya.

Murmu, who is in the ICU with a fractured bone below his eye, is stable but under close monitoring, and doctors said he may need surgery.

The assault on Murmu and Ghosh came amid torrential rains that triggered deadly floods and landslides across north Bengal.

It has now snowballed into a full-fledged confrontation between the Centre and the state, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday night calling the incident "outright appalling" and "reflective of the pathetic law and order situation in Bengal." Banerjee shot back, accusing Modi of "politicising a natural disaster instead of standing by the people." Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiran Rijiju, who visited the affected areas along with Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has sought a report from the state government on the attack and warned that any delay could invite action under the Privilege Motion.

"This is not just about an MP or an MLA; every citizen must be given security," Rijiju said.

He added that he was visiting the affected families on behalf of the Prime Minister and would submit a detailed report to him after reviewing the situation.

Adhikari went a step further, alleging that "jihadi elements" and outfits such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) could be behind the attack, given the proximity of the India-Bangladesh border to the site.

"The TMC's ploy to change the demography of the state by sheltering infiltrators is reaching alarming levels," he said, announcing plans to move the Calcutta High Court over the incident if arrests were not made.

Echoing him, Bhattacharya alleged that the attack was "perpetrated by illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas" and demanded an NIA probe, asserting that "jihadi elements patronised by the TMC" were behind the assault.

Fresh tension gripped the region after BJP MLA Manoj Kumar Oraon was allegedly attacked on Tuesday while distributing flood relief in Alipurduar district.

Oraon claimed that TMC workers surrounded and assaulted him and his supporters. The ruling party dismissed the charge as "baseless," alleging Oraon had "assaulted an aged man first." The BJP posted videos of the injured MLA on social media, accusing the TMC of turning relief work into a "crime" and practising "terror politics." PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage.

Even as political recriminations intensified, Governor C V Ananda Bose visited the injured BJP leaders at the Siliguri hospital and urged authorities to ensure law and order and prevent such incidents from recurring.

Meanwhile, in a significant relief measure, Banerjee visited the landslide-ravaged Mirik in Darjeeling district and handed over compensation cheques to bereaved families.

She promised full government assistance to rebuild homes, bridges and roads, and announced that a temporary bridge linking Mirik to the plains would be rebuilt within 15 days.

Taking a veiled swipe at BJP leaders touring north Bengal, Banerjee said, "Some people are moving around with 30-40 cars, breaking rural roads. I have instructed that no one should use more than three vehicles." The Congress, meanwhile, demanded that the devastation caused by the landslides and floods be declared a national disaster.

"The Centre and the state must work in tandem to address the crisis," state Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said after visiting affected areas. PTI PNT SUS SKU AMR SCH DC BDC RG SOM ACD PNT NN