'Anti-India attack': Bengal BJP protests against assault on probe agency team

BJP West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar on Thursday termed the assault on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in the state on January 5 as an "anti-India" attack and demanded the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe the matter.

On January 5, a team of ED officials was attacked by a mob in Sandeshkhali. The attackers marched at the officials "with an intention to cause death" during raids on a Trinamool Congress leader, Shahjahan Sheikh, in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam.

Majumdar accused the West Bengal Police of protecting TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, whom he referred to as the mastermind behind the attack on the ED officials.

He made these statements during a march by BJP workers today. The protest march, led by Majumdar and other prominent party figures, aimed to reach Sandeshkhali in the North 24 Parganas district.

However, after a few kilometres, they were stopped by the police, who tried to halt the marchers with barricades.

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Despite the imposition of Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of more than four people in an area, the BJP supporters pushed through the barricades set up by police.

The BJP delegation, consisting of five members, later met with senior police officers to present their grievances formally.