The gheraoing of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and manhandling of her colleague Amit Mitra here came in for all-round criticism, even from the Left whose supporters were involved in the unruly incident.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up Banerjee to express regret over the protest faced by her yesterday at the Planning Commission where she was going to discuss the Plan allocation for West Bengal.
Singh called up Banerjee, chief of erstwhile Trinamool Congress, after she sought cancellation of a meeting scheduled with him last evening, sources close to her said today.
Union Ministers Manish Tewari and Kamal Nath also condemned the incident and appealed to political parties to exercise restraint.
"What happened yesterday should be condemned because such behaviour towards Chief Minister of any state is worthy of criticism and I condemn it," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told reporters.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari termed the incident as "extremely unfortunate" and said "Whether it is our friends from the Left, or our friends in Trinamool Congress, or political parties across the length and breadth of this country, everybody needs to exercise restraint".
Congress in-charge of West Bengal Shakeel Ahmed condemned the incident as also the violence indulged in by Trinamool Congress in the state, saying "two wrongs do not make a right".
CPI(M) also "disapproved and condemned" this incident.
"The Party will look into how this has happened," the party Politburo said in a statement after its meeting to review the situation arising out of yesterday's protest.
BJP President Rajnath Singh also condemned the incident and demanded strong action against those responsible. He also spoke to Banerjee.
