Bengal minister of state Akhil Giri was allegedly injured during a scuffle with Trinamul Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee’s security personnel near Contai in East Midnapore on Wednesday.

Sources said Giri had been stopped by the security personnel when he had tried to approach Abhishek’s car, leading to an altercation during which the minister got injured on the left hand.

Giri, 70, is the minister of state for correctional administration (independent charge) and the MLA of Ramnagar, which is in East Midnapore. Abhishek is currently touring East Midnapore as part of his Trinamule Nabo Jowar programme.

While the Diamond Harbour MP was travelling through Chandiveti in Mukundapur on Wednesday, a huge crowd gathered to greet him. The security personnel had to struggle to manage the crowd.

When Giri tried to walk towards Abhishek’s car, he was pushed away allegedly by the latter’s guards.

The minister was visibly taken aback before he lashed out at the security men. This was followed by a squabble between the security personnel and Giri’s followers.

“The guards pushed me away and I suffered a severe injury in my hand,” Giri said when the incident took place.

However, shortly after, he took a complete U-turn and tried to play down the incident.

“It is not an issue. Actually, a huge crowd had gathered and the road was very narrow. A small scuffle broke out during crowd management,” Giri told journalists.

Asked specifically if he had been pushed away by Abhishek’s guards, the minister answered in the negative.

The leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who used to be Trinamul’s strongman in East Midnapore until 2020, took a dig at Giri after the incident.

“It is very sad. I wish him a speedy recovery. He is a son from a poor family and thus was pushed away by the guards of the son from a rich house,” Adhikari said.

Abhishek, the national general secretary of Trinamul, will spend the night at the Chandipur football ground. Eight years ago, on January 4, 2015, he had been attacked by one Debashis Acharya while addressing a meeting at the same ground.

As a result, additional security arrangements have been made for him this time.

On Tuesday, a homemaker was killed after she allegedly fell off a motorcycle which got caught in the rope of Abhishek’s safety belt at Ramnagar. The 36-year-old died after being hit by another vehicle coming from behind.