A BJP team deputed to look into incidents of violence after the publication of Lok Sabha election results ran into protests from party workers in the Diamond Harbour Parliamentary constituency on Tuesday as they accused a local leader of failing to protect them from alleged atrocities by the Trinamool Congress.

The BJP "fact-finding" team, which consisted of former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb, MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad and Brij Lal, and Kabita Patidar, was going to Altaberia village in South 24-Parganas. The BJP workers blocked the vehicles carrying the team at Amtala to protest against the "passive attitude" of Diamond Harbour organisational district president Abhijit Sardar whom they accused of colluding with the Trinamool leadership.

The BJP team members disembarked from their vehicles, listened to the complaints of the party workers and assured them of all possible help.

"The state leadership has neither called us nor have they extended any help to displaced people staying in a local hotel for the last 15 days. If we don't stand by the people who had given everything for the party, then next time, we cannot expect that common people will support us," a BJP leader of Diamond Harbour said.

"I have given shelter to nearly 90 people from Altaberia village. They cannot go back to their homes. I am doing this all on my own. I don't know how long I shall be able to support them," Diamond Harbour BJP candidate Abhijit Das (Bobby), who was defeated by Abhishek Banerjee of Trinamool by a record margin of more than seven lakh votes, said.

Sardar was unavailable for comment.

Later in the day, Prasad wrote on his X handle in Hindi: "Everyone in Altaberia village has fled, and we sat at a place where BJP workers used to sit and registered our protest. The villagers have fled in terror, and their belongings, chickens, ducks, and even cows have been looted. Under the rule of Mamata ji, who gave the slogan of Maa Mati Manush, Bengal has become synonymous with anarchy, terror, a ruthless, undemocratic, corrupt, appeasement, and dictatorial government."

The BJP leadership had asked all 42 candidates in Bengal, except Sukanta Majumdar and Shantanu Thakur, who became ministers, to go to their constituencies and stand beside the violence-hit people.

"The central leadership's decision was conveyed to all leaders at a core committee meeting a couple of days ago. Accordingly, all leaders have gone back to their constituencies. Apart from them, all MLAs and heads of different party wings have been asked to do the same," a senior BJP leader said.

Several party leaders believe the central leadership is keen to avoid a 2021 repeat. Then, BJP workers accused the leadership of "leaving them at the mercy of Trinamool attackers".

Strategically, the BJP aims to use legal and constitutional methods to challenge the Mamata Banerjee government, and sending a central team is part of this approach.

The leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, had already led a team of "victims" to governor C.V Ananda Bose.

Apart from Altaberia, the team that had reached the state on Sunday evening met victims in Cooch Behar on Monday and spoke to the people of Diamond Harbour, Baruipur, Bantala and Sandeshkhali.

On his X handle, Deb wrote that the "TMC sheltered miscreants" had vandalised the shop of an old woman for narrow political interests. He said Trinamool workers also displaced her son.