E-Paper
Child killed, 2 injured in crude bomb explosion ahead of TMC rally in Hooghly
The crude bomb explosion took place hours before TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was scheduled to address an election rally at Pandua in Hooghly
A child was killed, and two others were seriously injured when a crude bomb exploded when they were playing near a pond at Pandua in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Monday morning, police said.
“One minor boy was killed and two others were injured in an explosion at Pandua. Our officers rushed to the spot. Investigation is going on,” a police officer said, requesting anonymity.
People familiar with the matter said that all the children were aged between 10-12 years. They were rushed to a rural hospital by villagers where one child was declared dead by the doctors. The other two were seriously injured. One of them had his arm ripped off. Both of them were shifted to the Imambara district hospital at Chinsurah for treatment.
The people said that the child, who died, had come to his uncle’s house as schools have closed for summer vacations. He was playing with two local children near the pond when the explosion took place.
“My elder brother called me and said that an accident has happened. When I reached his house, I heard that my son had died because of a bomb blast. Who kept the bombs there and why? I want them to be hanged,” the child’s mother told media persons.
“We heard a deafening sound and rushed to the spot. The three children were lying in a pool of blood. They were rushed to the hospital. They probably mistook the crude bomb as some playing item,” Akash Dutta, a local resident, told reporters.
The incident triggered a massive political row with the Lok Sabha elections ongoing and Hooghly scheduled to go into polls on May 20 in the fifth phase.
It took place hours before Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was scheduled to address an election rally at Pandua.
“This the TMC’s way of welcoming their leader. This is dangerous. Bombs are being recovered from across the state. The TMC has lost faith in the people. They now trust only arms and explosives. See their audacity. None would be spared,” said Locket Chatterjee, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament (MP) from Hooghly.
Chatterjee also demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe even as BJP supporters blocked the GT Road for some time.
The Congress too stepped up its ante against the TMC saying that bomb-making has become an industry in West Bengal.
“Where are we heading? Are we living in a war zone where bombs, arms and ammunitions are being recovered every day? It has become an industry in West Bengal. What are the police and the Election Commission of India (ECI) doing?” said Soumya Aich Roy, Congress leader.
The TMC hit back saying that it seems to be a conspiracy by the BJP.
“It seems to be a conspiracy by the BJP. We have seen how they orchestrated the Sandeshkhali incident. The BJP MP is afraid as she knew that there would be a huge gathering at Abhishek Banerjee’s rally in Pandua. Hence it seems that they have planned such things,” Asima Patra, TMC MLA from Dhanekhali, told the media.
