Union Minister's fierce spat with Purulia DM over Amit Shah's rally

Purulia, June 28 (IANS) Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Thursday had a heated exchange with the District Magistrate of West Bengal's Purulia, while going to BJP President Amit Shah's public meeting, after the official allegedly refused to follow the minister's direction to clear the road blockade.

A video uploaded by Supriyo on his Facebook page, purportedly shows Purulia DM Alokesh Prasad Roy saying that he will not take any direction from the Union Minister and will only follow instructions given by the state as he is a state government employee. He also refused to accompany Supriyo to the place where the vehicles were stuck.

Roy, however, claimed he has given the necessary instructions to the district police chief to end the commotion.

Supriyo, on the other hand, repeatedly accused him of "hiding in his car" and not taking any measures to clear the road blockade so that the vehicles of Bharatiya Janata Party activists can go to attend Shah's rally.

"DM of Purulia hid behind the Black glasses of his official car...told me that he is a state employee and won't take commands from me- when, after realising that it was he who was inside the car with a Police officer in the front seat, I asked him to help me clear the roads," Supriyo wrote on social media.

"It was his car that was obstructing the roads while I was trying to help the 10 big buses loaded with BJP supporters take U-turn towards the rally ground," he alleged.

Supriyo also accused the local "Trinamool Congress goons" of stone pelting at the buses and autos of BJP activists who were on the way to attend Shah's rally in the outskirts of Purulia town.

"Enroute to Shri AmitShah Ji's rally at Purulia, about 15-20 buses and over 30 autos were stone pelted by TMC goons. After stopping mid way and having cleared up the chaos, we are moving again with great gusto," he wrote.

Shah, who was on a two day trip to Bengal, met villagers in Purulia to showcase the initiatives of Modi government and later held a public meeting in the district.

Despite a number of attempts, IANS could not contact Roy for his version of the incident.