A first information report has been registered against Union minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s West Bengal chief Sukanta Majumdar in Kolkata for “hurling sandals” at the turban of a Sikh police officer, the Trinamool Congress claimed on Sunday.

Sikh groups accused Majumdar of hurting sentiments and demanded an apology from him.

However, Majumdar rejected the claims and said it was only a “slipper-shaped paper” that was thrown, The Indian Express reported.

The incident reportedly took place on Thursday after BJP leaders, led by Majumdar, were detained near Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence when they were stopped from visiting violence-hit Mahestala in South 24 Parganas district, according to the newspaper.

A purported video of the incident was circulated widely on social media.

An FIR filed at the Kalighat police station on Friday, a copy of which was shared on social media by the Trinamool Congress on Sunday, claimed that Majumdar had thrown the slippers at the officer in a public place near Banerjee’s residence a day earlier.

The case was based on a complaint by members of the Sikh community, the party alleged. The complaint alleged that Majumdar’s actions were “deliberate and intentional”, with the intention to “insult to religious belief and hurt religious sentiment”.

The FIR was lodged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to intentionally hurting religious feelings and voluntarily causing hurt.

The Trinamool Congress said that the Sikh community had “responded with rightful anger” to the incident.

“They have demanded an immediate, unconditional apology, and warned of widespread protests if their voice is ignored,” the ruling party in the state added. “BJP’s politics of hate has no place in Bengal. The insult of one is the insult of all.”

In response to the allegations, Majumdar claimed that the incident was an accident and added that the person on whose head the “paper-cut” fell was part of his security detail, The Indian Express reported.

The BJP leader added that he intended to throw the paper at the police.

“Has the person on whose head the paper-cut of the slipper fell complained?” the newspaper quoted Majumdar as saying. “This is being done on the signals of Mamata Banerjee. She does appeasement politics and tries to give rise to communal politics.”

On Sunday, Gurmeet Singh, the president Gurudwara Bara Sikh Sanghat, told reporters that all the members of the Sikh community were hurt.

“We had hoped that action would be taken [against Majumdar],” The Indian Express quoted him as saying. “Hoped that Sukanta Majumdar would come forward with an apology and clarification, but nothing happened.”

Gurmeet Singh claimed that the BJP leader’s act was done on purpose. “If he doesn’t apologise, we will carry out a huge protest against the BJP and Majumdar,” he added.