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The Party for Democratic Socialism will hold state-wide protest rallies on Monday, following the attack on its leader Saifuddin Choudhury on Saturday night.
Choudhury was allegedly beaten up by ''goons owing allegiance to the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist'' in Buardwan district of West Bengal.
(A PTI report, quoting the police, stated that three Communist Party of India-Marxist activists were arrested on Sunday.)
CPI-M cadres reportedly roughed up Choudhury while beating up PDS local leader Sandip Mondal.
PDS general secretary Samir Putatunda described the attack on Choudhury and his supporters as an expected fall-out of the Communists' desperation ahead of next month's assembly elections.
"With both me and Sofi (Saifuddin) severing ties with the CPI-M, the Marxists find themselves in a quandary. They are getting increasingly disenchanted with our soaring popularity every day. We condemn the attack on Saifuddin and our workers in the strongest words and hope the people of West Bengal will give a befitting reply to the CPI-M's reign of terror," Putatunda remarked.
According to Putatunda, Choudhury was on his way to a campaign rally in Nadanghat assembly constituency of Bardwan district, when he found his convoy under all-around attack from CPI-M workers. The mob allegedly damaged Choudhury's car and vandalised the venue of the proposed rally.
Putatunda said that Mondal, who will be Choudhury's election agent in the forthcoming assembly elections, has been hospitalised following injuries.
Putatunda said that Choudhury had lodged a first information report at the Nadanghat police station, accusing local CPI-M leader Rafique of masterminding the attack.
Choudhury, who deserted the CPI-M after the party refused to renew his primary membership late last year, had formed the PDS with former colleague Putatunda a few months back.
Choudhury will fight the assembly elections from Nadanghat. Putatunda has been pitted against Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya in Jadavpur constituency.
The PDS has decided to fight in 100 assembly seats, with the party releasing the list of 58 candidates. Putatunda said that the remaining candidates and the PDS manifesto would be released shortly.
He hoped for an impressive performance by his party in the assembly polls.
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