Darjeeling/IBNS: In a second incident in 24 hours, unidentified miscreants on Tuesday pelted stones at the New Jalpaiguri–Howrah Vande Bharat Express near the Phansidewa area in Darjeeling district.

The windows of coach C3 and C6 of the train were damaged.

This is the second such incident within 24 hours,

On Monday, the Vande Bharat Express was attacked by an unknown mob in West Bengal's Malda, three days after it was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Some unknown people pelted stones at the train near Malda's Kumarganj station.

The pelting of stones had triggered panic among the passengers but no one was reportedly hurt.

A window pane was affected by the pelted stones.

India's seventh and West Bengal's maiden Vande Bharat Express was launched virtually on Jan 30 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in presence of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The attack on the train has triggered a political row with the country's ruling but opposition in West Bengal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), linking the incident to the raising of "Jai Shree Ram" slogan at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's arrival at Howrah Station on Jan 30.

West Bengal Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA, Suvendu Adhikari, tweeted, "Unfortunate & sickening. Stones pelted at India's pride Vande Bharat Express in WB's Malda district.

"Is this revenge for 'Jai Shree Ram' chants on the Inaugural day? I urge @PMOIndia & @RailMinIndia to handover the probe to @NIA_India & punish the perpetrators."