Two senior CPI(M) leaders of Burdwan district of West Bengal, including a former party MLA from the district, were killed in broad daylight, allegedly by a group of armed activists of Trinamool Congress.
Those killed were the former CPI(M) legislator from Burdwan (North) assembly constituency, Pradip Ta (56) and senior CPI(M) district committee member from Burdwan, Kamal Gayen. The police have arrested four persons in connection with the assassination and all the four arrested were identified as Trinamool activists.
The incident took place on Wednesday morning, when Trinamool activists, allegedly armed with sticks and axes, attacked a CPI(M) procession being lead by Ta and Gayen, both of whom were allegedly hacked by the attackers.
While Ta died on the way while being moved to Burdwan Medical College & Hospital, Gayen was shifted to the hospital under extremely critical condition. However, soon after being shifted to the hospital Gayen died. Several other CPI(M) leaders and activists were injured followed the attack.
The CPI(M) district leaders claimed that Wednesday’s procession was a protest against the previous attack on another CPI(M) procession in Burdwan on Tuesday night, which was called in support of the industrial strike on February 28, 2012.
The CPI(M) district leaders claimed that Wednesday’s procession was a protest against the previous attack on another CPI(M) procession in Burdwan on Tuesday night, which was called in support of the industrial strike on February 28, 2012.
The CPI(M) leaders has blamed the senior Trinamool leaders including the state chief minister, Mamata Banerjee and the state commerce & industries minister, Partha Chatterjee for provoking Trinamool activists to spearhead the heinous attack.
The CPI(M) central committee and the Rajya Sabha member, Shyamal Chakrabarty said that on Tuesday afternoon only Chatterjee threatened that Trinamool will actively the oppose the industrial strike. “Although he said that Trinamool will oppose the industrial strike in a peaceful way, in reality it became a provocation for the Trinamool activists to attack and kill our leaders,” he said.
“The responsibility lies with the state government, especially the state chief minister.” The CPI(M) legislator and the leader of opposition in West Bengal assembly, Suryakanta Mishra said.
A team of senior CPI(M) leaders immediately rushed to Burdwan from Kolkata to take stock of the situation.
Congress and BJP to condemned the incident. “We though that after the change of guards in West Bengal, the days of violence will end. But in reality, that same violence is being renewed vigorously. The state government should react and the no political should be taken into consideration while taking action against the offenders,” state Congress president in West Bengal, Pradip Bhattacharya said.
The BJP state president, Rahul Sinha said that a team of state BJP leaders would submit a deputation to the state governor, MK Narayanan about the violent law & order situation in the state.
Trinamool leaders denied the allegation and said that a detailed clarification will be given at a press conference in appropriate time.