Mamata Banerjee suffered 'severe bone injuries', says doctor; TMC delays manifesto launch

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee remained hospitalised after suffering 'severe bone injuries' in her left ankle, foot, and right shoulder, hours after being allegedly attacked by unknown persons during her election campaign Nandigram on Wednesday night, doctors said.

Preliminary medical tests conducted on CM Banerjee late on Wednesday night detected severe bone injuries in her left ankle and foot, and injuries in right shoulder, forearm and neck, a senior doctor of the state-run SSKM hospital where she was taken from Nandigram said.

Doctors at the hospital decided to closely monitor Banerjee, who has been complaining of chest pain and breathlessness since the alleged attack, for the next 48 hours, he said.

The Trinamool Congress chief has slight fever and has been shifted to a special ward at the hospital's VVIP Woodburn Block soon after the MRI at the Bangur Institute of Neurosciences, he added

The CM's nephew and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee has shared CM Mamata's photo on Twitter, where she can be seen resting on the hospital bed with a plaster on her left leg. Tagging West Bengal BJP in his post, Abhishek wrote, "Brace yourselves to see the power of people of BENGAL on Sunday, May 2nd."

West Bengal CM allegedly attacked in Nandigram

CM Mamata Banerjee, 66, was allegedly attacked by a "few unknown persons" while she was returning after performing puja in a temple at Barulia Bazar in Nandigram. She was rushed to the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, for immediate medical attention. 

Speaking to the reporters after the attack, Banerjee claimed that no police official was present when "4-5 people intentionally manhandled" her in public. Claiming a conspiracy behind the attack, the CM said no local police present during program, not even the SP. 

The Election Commission has sought a report on the incident after the TMC chief claimed that she was allegedly attacked by a 'few unknown persons' while campaigning in Nandigram, leading to injuries in her left leg and also suffered severe pain in the waist. As per her campaigning schedule, she was originally expected to spend another day in Nandigram.

Top TMC leaders and Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar rushed to visit the injured CM. TMC has postponed the party manifesto launch that was to take place on Thursday, in wake of the alleged attack on the Chief Minister. 

Eye-witnesses unable to corroborate attack claim

As West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee undergoes treatment in Kolkata after an alleged attack, two persons claiming to be eye-witnesses from Nandigram have refuted Banerjee's claims. According to ANI, an eye-witness Chitranjan Das said that Banerjee was not pushed and that her car's door closed after being 'pushed by a poster'. Similarly, another eyewitness Suman Maity claimed that Banerjee was injured after the public gathered around her. 

Bengal is set to go to polls in 8 phases—March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26, and April 29—with results to be announced on May 2.