Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik on Saturday alleged that supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress attacked his car at Dinhata in West Bengal's Coochbehar district.

The TMC supporters allegedly pelted stones at the car carrying the minister. The front windshield of the car also cracked, reports PTI.

Black flags were also shown to the minister.

The police had to fire tear gas shells to control the crowds, reports NDTV.

Pramanik said, "the police are acting as mere spectators and shielding the perpetrators of violence. People of the state are witnessing what is being done by TMC supporters in the state".

Pramanik alleged that TMC was sheltering miscreants.

BJP West Bengal spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said "if a central minister's car is attacked in this manner, then think about the security of the common people in the state".

Bhattacharya said the Governor should initiate steps for the imposition of Article 355 in the state.

The Union Minister was on his way to the BJP's local office when the attack happened.

Trinamul Congress leader Jaiprakash Majumdar, while reacting to this, said BJP leaders like Dilip Ghosh and Suvendu Adhikari are instigating the saffron party workers to disrupt peace in West Bengal. "These leaders should be brought to task first", he stated.

According to a NDTV report, local sources said there is anger against Pramanik over the killing of a tribal, allegedly in firing by the Border Security Force (BSF), which reports to the Home Ministry, of which he is a minister.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar was greeted by “go back” slogans by TMC workers at Sagardighi in Murshidabad district, where he was campaigning for the upcoming Assembly bypoll, reports Indian Express. The situation, however, did not get out of control.

“This is the culture that the TMC is trying to establish in Bengal. They want to intimidate the Opposition by orchestrating such attacks. MPs, MLAs and Union ministers have no security. Only the TMC leaders are safe here. We strongly condemn this culture of violence,” Majumdar said, reports Indian Express.

The TMC, however, attributed the attacks to “people’s anger” against the Centre’s “stepmotherly” attitude towards the state as well as alleged excesses by the Border Security Force.

“The Centre is not sending funds for development projects. The BJP is busy dividing people along the religious lines. The BSF is torturing people in border areas. People are angry at the Centre over these issues and expressing their anger through protests. Now we will take note of what exactly happened in Cooch Behar and act accordingly. But the BJP has no moral right to target us. It must first take action against its leaders who have been named in CBI FIRs,” said TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh.