TMC Supporters Damage Man's Eye for Participating in Nationwide Strike

Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters allegedly attacked a brick kiln worker on Thursday for participating in the two-day Bharat Bandh called by the Central Trade Unions. The victim, who was hit in the eye, has been admitted in the National Medical College Hospital, Calcutta.

Gopal Majhi, who participated in the two-day strike and took part in the rally organized by Communist Party of India (Marxist), was attacked on Thursday night at Kulpi in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district when he was returning after participating in the rally.

Speaking to NDTV from the hospital bed the victim said, "I was a part of the CPM rally. When I was returning home, a group of boys attacked me. They were from the Trinamool though, in the scuffle, I could not figure out exactly who hit me." 

Majhi's family filed a complaint at the Kulpi police station on Friday. "We have registered a complaint against some unknown persons for attacking Mr Majhi. We are probing the incident and hope to apprehend the culprits soon," a police officer said.

"My father's eye has been completely damaged and he has been severely beaten by Trinamool supporters. We hope the attackers are arrested soon," Mr Majhi's daughter said.

In a similar incident, TMC workers allegedly chopped off the ear of a panchayat worker in Jalangi in Murshidabad district who did not come to office for a day during the two-day nationwide strike.

After the incident came into light, TMC was criticized by Bahratiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress.

"The incident is deplorable to say the least. Day by day the law and order situation in the state is deteriorating and the ruling party is responsible," state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya told IANS.