Sunday, May 15 2005 17:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress today (May 15, 2005) said that vandalism in the West Bengal Pradesh Congress (WBCC) office in the presence of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee was an internal affair of that party, but attack on a journalist was reprehensible.

"We condemn the heinous attack on media persons who went to the WBPCC office to cover the Defence Minister's press conference," Trinamool leader Madan Mitra said.

He said that it was surprising that journalists came under attack in front of Mukherjee and other senior Congress leaders.

Mitra said that today's development showed that the Congress-led newly-formed United Democratic Alliance's statement that it would give a disciplined administration in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) if it wins the polls 'sounds hollow'.

Dissent within the Congress over seat allotment for KMC took an ugly turn today when a section of partymen heckled WBPCC chief and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and attacked journalists at the PCC office in Kolkata.

Mukherjee, who was to announce the list of party nominees for election to the 141-seat KMC, was heckled by protesters, who grabbed him by his kurta, shouting slogans in support of their demand and hurled invectives.

The protesters also asked newsmen to boycott Mukherjee's press conference. When they refused, a section of the protesters rained blows on them, seriously injuring the senior journalist of a Bengali daily in the eye.