Kolkata: At least six people were killed, four in clashes between the cadres of Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party in Nazat area of North 24 Parganas and the bodies of a BJP leader and an RSS veteran were found hanging from trees in West Bengal. The workers of both the parties reportedly locked horns over the removal of BJP flags from Nazat area. Among the deceased, three have been identified as BJP workers and one from the TMC. Apart from them, three others were left with critical injuries. Although police declined to comment on the deaths, they said a huge contingent has been rushed to the spot to control the situation and Section 144 has been imposed in the area.
Sources in the TMC and the BJP claimed that the clashes broke out over removing flags of the saffron party in the area. State BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu said three of his party workers - Sukanta Mondal, Pradip Mondal and Shankar Mondal - were shot dead when they stopped TMC supporters from "throwing away" their party flags. "We have received bodies of three of our workers. We have heard that two more have also died but are yet to receive the bodies. They tried to throw away our party flags and posters and when we protested, our workers were shot from point blank range," Basu said.
The TMC also claimed that one of its supporters was killed. The party's North 24 Parganas district president and senior state minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said party supporter Kayum Mollah was "hacked and shot dead by BJP workers.
BJP, RSS men found hanging
On Monday, BJP worker Samatul Dolui’s body was found hanging from a tree by residents of Sarpota village in Howrah’s Amta. Dolui’s family and BJP netas in Howrah were quick to blame Trinamool. “Dolui was active in BJP and gave the party a lead from his booth in the Lok Sabha polls. He had received death threats soon after he took out ‘Jai Sri Ram’ rallies in the locality. Trinamool-backed anti-socials ransacked his house immediately after the polls,” said BJP’s Howrah (rural) president Anupam Mullick.
A day earlier, an RSS veteran, Swadesh Manna, too was found hanging from a tree in Atchata village. Manna had also been taking out local ‘Jai Sri Ram’ rallies for the past few days. “In both cases, Trinamool supporters have killed our party workers,” Mullick alleged.
In another incident in Sodepur, two disgruntled security men Rakesh Das (38) and Sujit Biswas (40) were beaten up by suspected members of Trinamool’s trade union wing Inttuc. Das and Biswas had tried to float a BJP-affiliated union. The seriously injured duo was rushed to hospital. A complaint has been lodged against six Inttuc ‘members’ at Khardah police station.
Governor apprises PM, HM of situation
West Bengal governor governor KN Tripathi met PM Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah to apprise them of the situation in the state. “I can’t disclose the details of what transpired,” he said. Asked about the possibility of imposition of President’s rule, he said there was no such discussion. BJP also said it has made no such demand.
