Congress and Left parties today decried the 'Taliban-like' attack on a gram panchayat employee, whose ear was "chopped off" allegedly by a Trinamool Congress worker in Murshidabad district.

"The incident is barbaric. It seems as if we are living in a Taliban regime if the Trinamool Congress has been given liberty to perpetrate atrocities on the common people opposed to it," Union Minister and Congress leader Deepa Dasmunshi said.

Another union minister and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that it was an instance of "medieval barbarism" at the instance of the ruling party.

"When Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself announces awards for and against those attending office during a strike, chopping off an absenting employee's ear is not unexpected," he said, demanding punishment for the assailant.

CPI(M) leader Md Selim said, "It is a pointer to how intolerant our chief minister is and how she has made the police administration inert for her partymen to indulge in goondaism."

CPI leader and AITUC General Secretary Gurudas Dasgupta said, "It is barbaric and an instance of terrorism in which state apparatus is involved."

The gram panchayat employee, who was absent from office yesterday during the nationwide strike, was attacked today and his ear severed allegedly by a Trinamool Congress worker, sparking an outrage.