West Bengal minister Jakir Hossain seriously injured in bomb attack

West Bengal minister Jakir Hossain was seriously injured after unidentified attackers hurled a crude bomb at him in Nimtita railway station in Murshidabad district on Wednesday night, police said.

At least two other persons, who were with the Trinamool Congress MLA of Jangipur, were also injured in the incident which occurred ahead of the assembly election in West Bengal due in April-May this year.

Senior minister and TMC leader Malay Ghatak held "political rivals of the party" responsible for the attack, while Sabhadhipati of Murshidabad Zilla Parishad Mosharaf Hossain, who was expelled from the TMC earlier in the day, claimed that it is the result of the party's internal feud.

Hossain, the minister of state for labour, was waiting at platform no 2 of the station to catch a train to Kolkata at around 10 pm when he was attacked, a senior police officer of West Bengal Police said.

"We have started an investigation," he said adding that a large police contingent was posted at Nimtita railway station.

An official of the hospital said that the minister suffered "injuries on his legs and lower abdominal part. We are trying to stabilise him before shifting him to a hospital in Kolkata."