Monday, May 16 2005 16:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee today (May 16,2005) described as 'unfortunate' the attack on West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) chief Pranab Mukherjee and media men yesterday (May 15, 2005), but said that such incidents were 'usual' in the Congress.

''It was an unfortunate incident,'' Bhattacharjee said, when asked to comment on the attacks on Mukherjee and media persons by a section of Congressmen. Asked whether the attacks could have been motivated, he said, ''these things usually happen in the Congress.''

On senior Congress leader Somen Mitra's observation that the incident was a pointer to the popular interest in a Congress ticket, the Chief Minister said, ''if this is an indication of popularity, then that word needs to be re-defined.''

A section of Congressmen yesterday heckled Mukherjee demanding that the party nominate a local candidate in ward 55 for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections, instead of allotting the seat to the United Democratic Alliance led by Mayor Subrata Mukherjee.

The protesters also attacked journalists when they refused to boycott Mukherjee's press conference where he was to announce the list of Congress candidates for the KMC polls.