Hours before the arrival of Union home minister Amit Shah to Kolkata—second time in just over a week—West Bengal minister of state for Labour Zakir Hussain sustained critical injuries when some unidentified miscreants attacked him with a bomb at Nimita station in Murshidabad district around 10 PM on Wednesday. He was rushed to a local hospital in Jangipur where he was given 14 stitches before being taken to Kolkata for further treatment. Some of his supporters who were also with him also received injuries.
The minister was about to broad the Teesta Torsa Express to Kolkata to attend a party meeting on Thursday.
Zakir, who represents Jangipur Assembly constituency, is a leading industrialist and owns one of the biggest bidi manufacturing factories in the state.
According to reports, in another incident in the district a Trinamool Congress block level leader was seriously injured when he was shot at by some unidentified persons at around the same time.
On the other hand, in Kolkata a rally led by former minister and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was attacked with stones on the same day.
The TMC leaders are blaming the opposition for the attack on Zakir Hussain and questioned the lapses in the security at the railway station, which according to them, comes under the railway police and not the state police.
Meanwhile, Union home minister Amit Shah arrived at Kolkata just after midnight (12:30 AM on Thursday). Among other things he is to flag off a ‘Poriborton Yatra’ in the city. This is his fourth visit to the state since November 4 last. Besides, he had to cancel his January 30-31 visit on account of security reasons.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had visited the state on January 23 and February 7 will again be coming on February 22. He will address a public meeting at Hooghly.
