One person was shot dead in alleged political violence in West Bengal on Saturday night, officials said, as clashes continued across the eastern state that has been on the boil since the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections in May.
The ruling Trinamool Congress said the killing of Sheikh Nizamuddin Mondal, 29, in the Baruipur area of South 24-Parganas district had nothing to do with politics. But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Mondal was killed in an infighting within the Trinamool. As confusion prevailed, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said Mondal was a supporter of the Left party. “We have begun an investigation,” said Rashid Munir Khan, superintendent of Baruipur police.
In separate incidents, a BJP supporter and his son were attacked in North Dinajpur district on Saturday night, and another BJP leader’s house was attacked early on Sunday at Bolpur in Birbhum district. The party accused chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool of carrying out the attacks.
Tension simmered in Bankura district too. Three people, including a 13-year-old boy, suffered bullet injuries after the police allegedly opened fire in Patrasayar on Saturday evening. All three underwent surgeries at Bankura Medical College and Hospital. The condition of the boy is said to be critical.
Trouble broke out shortly after TMC minister Suvendu Adhikari took out a procession, and the BJP alleged that the police opened fire when clashes broke out after a local party leader started shouting “Jai Shri Ram”.
{{/usCountry}}Trouble broke out shortly after TMC minister Suvendu Adhikari took out a procession, and the BJP alleged that the police opened fire when clashes broke out after a local party leader started shouting “Jai Shri Ram”.
{{/usCountry}}Bankura superintendent of police Koteswar Rao said, “The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Three policemen suffered bullet injuries. We are trying to find out who opened fire.”
Announcing a series of agitations, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said on Sunday, “We want the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the Patrasayar firing as well as the police firing at Bhatpara [in North 24-Parganas] that claimed two lives on June 20. Mamata Banerjee has unleashed anarchy in Bengal. Why should people be shot by police for chanting Jai Sri Ram?”.
Trinamool minister Subrata Mukherjee said, “BJP workers showed the media some spent cartridges of .303 calibre rifles [after the Patrasayar incident]. It proves that they opened fire, not the police.”