A team of the National Investigation Agency was allegedly attacked by locals in East Midnapore district of West Bengal early on Saturday morning, triggering a political row with chief minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the central agency instead of mounting the attack.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said one of its officers was injured and a vehicle was damaged in the attack that happened in Bhupatinagar.

Banerjee said it was “self-defence” by villagers, alleging that the NIA team had barged into several houses in the early hours over an incident of “bursting of crackers in 2022”.

Governor CV Ananda Bose, however, said the matter should be treated with all seriousness that it deserves “as any attempt to bully the investigating agencies does not bring credit to anyone”.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that it was a “state-sponsored” attack, and accused Banerjee of inciting violence.

The NIA said that in a breakthrough in the Bhupatinagar blast case, two key conspirators — Balai Charan Maity and Manobrata Jana — were arrested after extensive searches at five locations.

The explosion, on December 3, 2022, in the house of a local Trinamool Congress leader Rajkumar Manna killed three people, including Manna and two-party workers party workers Biswajit Gayen and Buddhadeb Manna.

In March 2023, the Calcutta high court ordered an NIA probe into the incident. The agency started its probe in June last year, and sent summons to eight TMC workers and local leaders but they skipped the questioning twice.

Saturday’s alleged attack on NIA officials happened near Jana’s house with a group of locals, comprised mostly of women, blocked the road to stop the NIA team, a senior police officer said.

At around 5.30am, “locals gheraoed (surrounded) the vehicle (carrying the NIA officials) and pelted stones” at them when the officials were returning to the Bhupatinagar police station after arresting two people in the case, the police officer said.

“We have received a complaint from the NIA. Investigation is going on,” said officer.

The federal agency, in a statement, added, “One NIA team member suffered minor injury and the agency’s official vehicle was also damaged as some miscreants in the crowd attacked them at Bhupatinagar.”

They managed to reach the police station and complete the formalities, besides lodging a complaint. The NIA said that Jana and Maity were found to have conspired to manufacture and explode crude bombs to spread terror.

The two were brought to Kolkata in the afternoon and will be produced before the special NIA court, an official said.

Accusing NIA of attacking the locals, TMC supremo Banerjee said, “Who led the attack? The women didn’t attack. It was the NIA which attacked. If someone enters a woman’s house after midnight and tortures them, what should the women do? Are they supposed to sit? Will they not defend themselves and protect their dignity?”

Banerjee was addressing a rally at Balurghat in South Dinajpur district where voting for the Lok Sabha elections will be held in the second phase on April 26.

Earlier, addressing reporters ahead of the rally, Banerjee alleged that the arrest of the two was a ploy by the BJP to intimidate TMC workers ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

“If villagers see some strangers entering the village after midnight, how will they identify? Why are being people arrested ahead of the election? Is the BJP hoping to win the election after arresting all the booth agents (of TMC)? The arrests were made to support the BJP,” Banerjee said. Both Jana and Maity are local TMC leaders.

Banerjee accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of trying to use central agencies to win the elections.

“We want the Election Commission to work impartially, not turn into a BJP-run commission,” she said.

The incident bore similarities with the January 5 attack on a team of Enforcement Directorate officials in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas, when they went to search the house of TMC strongman and zilla parishad leader Shahjahan Sheikh in connection with a ration distribution scam.

Raising concern over the incident, Governor Bose said “muscle power” should not replace “legal power”. “This is a very serious situation which has to be dealt with all the seriousness that it deserves. This kind of ‘goondaism’ should not be allowed. Muscle power should not replace legal power. This has to be dealt with an iron hand,” he said.

The BJP mounted an attack on the TMC, saying that these “well planned attacks” were being led by the TMC.

“The Bhupatinagar attack is not a stray case. Earlier ED officials had come under attack. The pattern is similar and these are planned attacks which are being controlled from one single place. Mamata Banerjee and her team are behind this. The Union home ministry should take stern actions. The TMC has allied with anti-National forces. The ECI should also think about whether such parties should be recognised,” Sukanta Majumdar, BJP’s state president told the media.

The TMC said a two-member delegation of the party will visit the area on Sunday.