Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee 'injured in attack'

Indian state of West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was "injured in an attack" on Wednesday evening in the town of Nandigram, where she had gone to file her nomination papers to fight the upcoming assembly elections.

The 66-year-old firebrand politician of the state's ruling Trinamool Congress party claimed that she was attacked by four to five men outside a temple in Reyapara area of Nandigram, 130 kms from state capital Kolkata, when there were no security personnel around her.

"I was standing outside my car with the door open. I was going to a temple there to offer my prayers. Some four to five men came around my car and pushed the door. The door hit my leg. See how it's swelling up," a visibly shaken Banerjee told the media after the attack.

"It's a conspiracy, there were no policemen around me at the time," she screamed, before being whisked away by her bodyguards in her official car.

An hour later, local TV channels beamed live footage of the Chief Minister being admitted to a hospital in Kolkata, where she was rushed to. "I will lodge a complaint about the attack to the country's Election Commission," she told the media at the hospital.

The Election Commission of India has, meanwhile, sought a report from West Bengal's top electoral officer in the matter.

Trinamool Congress has condemned the attack on Banerjee. Party MP and Bengali actress Nusrat Jahan said, "Strongly condemn the attack on our beloved leader Mamata Banerjee. You may try to harm her, but our Didi shall stand tall always. Pray for her speedy recovery."

The BJP has, however, called the attack a "drama".

Local BJP leader Arjun Singh said, "She is doing drama only. Some 300 police personnel are providing security to the CM. She is doing this to get sympathy. If she was really attacked, why didn't the police arrest the person who did it?"

Nandigram is the potboiler of assembly elections in Bengal, where Banerjee has been challenged by her erstwhile close aide Suvendu Adhikari, who has now joined India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).