Cooch Behar Trinamool has picked up the alleged assault of a monk by Nagen Roy aka Ananta Maharaj, the BJP's Rajya Sabha member from the district, ahead of the upcoming Sitai by-election to exert pressure on the saffron camp.

In Sitai, the bypoll will be held on November 13 with five other seats across Bengal. Vigyananda Maharaj, the monk, runs the ashram — the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Seva Ashram — at a village under Sitai constituency.

“We have always insisted on moving forward with people of all castes, religions and communities. Unfortunately, a monk who runs an ashram here was abused and assaulted. We will ensure that no one else faces such injustice,” said state minister Shashi Panja, who was here to campaign for TMC candidate Sangita Roy.

On October 13, Roy reached the ashram and met Vigyananda, when he allegedly abused the monk. Roy and his associates also allegedly assaulted the monk. After the incident, the ashram authorities filed a police complaint and people of the area resorted to a road blockade, seeking steps against Roy.

The district BJP leadership was quick to distance themselves from Roy, who also denied the charge.

The TMC, however, picked up the issue. North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha, who is from Cooch Behar, reached the ashram with other party leaders, including Sangita, last week, met the monk and assured him of all help.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee also spoke with the monk over Guha's phone to express her concern.

On Monday, Panja reached the ashram to meet the monk.

"The attack on him was an insult and we all feel pained. We spoke to him and will see that he runs the ashram without inconvenience,” said Panja.

Political watchers in the district said that the TMC was pulling out all stops to build a narrative against the BJP ahead of the Sitai bypoll.

“The BJP often plays the Hindutva card to polarise votes. The TMC's move can be effective to put the BJP on the defensive as the monk has many followers in Sitai,” said an observer.