West Bengal Police have arrested four people on charges of assaulting policemen who were manning the roads near a rally attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Midnapore city on Monday, reported Hindustan Times.

Bharatiya Janata Party supporters allegedly beat up at least a dozen police personnel after the officials refused to allow them to travel to the rally in a bus. The BJP supporters attacked policemen with rods and slippers after the officials asked them to alight from the bus and walk the rest of the way, NDTV reported. One officer was grabbed by his hair, thrown to the ground and beaten up. At least seven policemen were hospitalised in Kharagpur.

West Midnapore district police chief Alok Rajoria said the four people will be produced in a local court on Tuesday. “An investigation is on,” he said.

West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said he regretted the attack on the policemen, but claimed it happened because the police failed to “keep the traffic moving”. “What I have heard is police was unable to keep the traffic moving and then the party supporters protested,” he said. “They did not behave well. But this should not have happened.”

Ghosh said the police should have made arrangements for the people to reach the rally peacefully. “It was not the aim of these people to indulge in violence. Had it been so, then there would have been more attacks on the police, along the entire stretch,” Ghosh said, according to IANS.

The Trinamool Congress’ West Midnapore unit chief Ajit Maity claimed Modi had come to the district to “create a commotion”. “In the name of Krishak Kalyan, the prime minister has gathered people from Jharkhand, Odisha and has come here to spread riots and disrupt peace,” he claimed.

Additional Director General of West Bengal Police (Law and Order) Anuj Sharma said a “specific case” was being filed in the matter and legal action would be taken against the attackers, NDTV reported.