The turf war between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Trinamool Congress has reached Hooghly district, one of last bastions of the Left in West Bengal, on Thursday, leaving one person dead and a police officer injured.
According to a police source, who did not wish to be identified, an armed mob of 200 alleged CPI(M) workers attacked 10 villages in Khanakul, about 130 km northwest of Kolkata.
In the following gunbattle, 28-year-old TMC supporter Anant Dalui died and four other TMC supporters received bullet injuries.
But state home secretary Ardhendu Sen said Dalui did not belong to any party.
Khanakul and nearby places, under the Arambag parliamentary constituency, became the centre stage of violence since the winning margin of CPI(M) in the area came down from 5.92 lakh to 1.7 lakh votes in the last byelections on November 7.
After Sukamal Das, 40, chief of Khanakul police station, reached the spot, villagers joined force to driving away the attackers. Das sustained bullet injuries on his leg and was sent to Kolkata for treatment.
Identifying the attackers as members of the CPI(M) action squad, the source said, “They were carrying sophisticated firearms. At Arandi village near Arambag, Dalui was killed in front of us.”
{{/usCountry}}Identifying the attackers as members of the CPI(M) action squad, the source said, “They were carrying sophisticated firearms. At Arandi village near Arambag, Dalui was killed in front of us.”
{{/usCountry}}The source said, “Large numbers of arms and ammunition have been stockpiled in the area. But since none of the attackers wore masks, it could be guessed that they were outsiders.”
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee held a meeting at the state secretariat on the situation, with the Hooghly district magistrate and superintendent of police also being present.
Sen said the district administration was asked to prevent any further violence.
“The violence is not just political in nature, some anti-social elements were also involved in the incident. We’ve asked the director general of police to deploy additional policemen in the district,” he said.