India's West Bengal State Chief and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, who is a fiery critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP, on Thursday accused Bharatiya Janata Party workers of attacking her car.
On Wednesday, Banerjee came across a few goons who purportedly attacked her car while she was heading to participate in a Ganga Aarti (a prayer for the holy Ganges River) in the state's Varanasi district.
"I was coming from the airport yesterday and going to the (Dashashwamedh) ghat (river bank). Midway, some BJP workers stopped my vehicle, who had nothing in their brains except hooliganism. They hit my car with sticks, pushed me, and told me to go back", Banerjee alleged.
Banerjee was also shown a black flag by the Hindu group Yuva Vahini, whose supporters also chanted slogans against her while she was attending the prayer on the banks of the Ganges River.
"They [the BJP] are completely gone. Their defeat is imminent", Banerjee, who's in Uttar Pradesh to campaign for Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, widely viewed as the ruling BJP's main rival in the state.
Varanasi is also the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Modi. The state polls here are due to be held on 7 March, which will be the last phase of the ongoing elections.
The result of the 403-seat state assembly election will be announced on 10 March.