West Bengal CPI(M) general secretary Surya Kanta Mishra and senior party leader Rabin Deb were allegedly heckled by Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists here today during a campaign for Tamluk Lok Sabha bypoll to be held on November 19.
However, East Midnapore Superintendent of Police Alok Rajoria rubbished any "attack" on the CPI(M) leaders.
The incident allegedly took place when the rally for CPI(M)candidate Mandira Panda, led by Mishra and Deb, reached Ranichak in East Midnapur district on the last day of campaigning.
"This is a deliberate attack on our leaders. They (TMC) failed to stop our campaigning so they conspired to attack our rally. Mishra was heckled and his shirt was torn," CPI(M) Politburo member Biman Bose alleged.
"Police remained silent observers and regrouped the TMC activists instead of arresting them. This is the pathetic situation in West Bengal," he alleged.
"They (CPI-M) had no permission for today's rally and the district magistrate and other officials requested them to stop it because there was another rally of TMC which had requisite permission," Rajoria told PTI.
"When the CPI(M) rally reached Ranichak, the TMC rally was already there. There was hot exchanges between members of the two parties but there was no scuffle nor was anybody heckled," the SP said.
Later, in the evening, senior Left party leaders, including Sujan Chakraborty, Anadi Sahu, Shyamal Chakraborty, Debesh Das along with party activists held a demonstration and blocked the Dorina crossing in Esplanade area to protest the alleged attack.
The leaders along with 26 CPI(M) activists were arrested when Kolkata Police officers failed to persuade them to remove the blockade.
Tamluk Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari resigned following his win in this year's assembly election from Nandigram Assembly constituency.
Bypolls will also be held for Cooch Behar Lok Sabha seat and Monteswar Assembly seat in West Bengal.
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