A Trinamool Congress worker was gunned down and two others suffered bullet injuries on Tuesday in Malda when they were attacked by henchmen allegedly because of severe infighting among two factions of ruling party workers in the district.
The incident, which again laid bare the inner conflicts of Mamata Banerjee’s party in the north Bengal district, occurred barely 12 days after the murder of TMC councillor Dulal Sarkar in the same district, for which a TMC leader of some standing has
been arrested.
On Tuesday, Bakul Sheikh, the panchayat-level president of TMC in Jadupur — an area under Kaliachak police station located around 16 kilometres from the district headquarters — reached Nayabusty to attend the inauguration of some rural roads and drains. He was accompanied by his brother Esharuddin Sheikh and some followers.
While Bakul, in his fifties, was addressing the people from the dais, some in the crowd, suspected to be followers of Zakir Sheikh, another local Trinamool leader who joined the party last November from the Congress, voiced protests.
As Bakul’s followers also protested, a commotion ensued. Soon, Zakir’s men attacked Bakul and his people. When they tried to flee, some youths opened fire.
Hassan Sheikh aka Hasu, a TMC worker with Bakul, was hit by bullets.
Hasu, in his early forties, collapsed. The attackers hit him with bricks. He
died instantly.
A bullet grazed Bakul’s skull and ear while his brother was beaten with bamboo sticks. Both were rushed to the Malda Medical College and Hospital, where admitted.
Trinamool insiders said Bakul and Zakir harboured old differences.
“Both of them wanted to have absolute control over Jadupur, which led to the clash,” said a TMC functionary on the condition of anonymity.
As the news spread, police rushed to the spot. They recovered Hasu’s body and initiated a probe.
“Three persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, so far. We are in search of some others,” said a police officer.
He said neither Bakul nor Zakir had a clean past.
“Many cases, including rioting, murder and other serious crimes, are pending against them,” he added.
Initially, district TMC leaders tried to claim that the attack was organised by Congress-backed goons.
Later, they stopped peddling the theory as people pointed out that Zakir had been in Trinamool since November.
Contacted, Abdur Rahim Boxi, the district TMC president in Malda, said: “Criminals do not have a political identity. Those who are behind the attack and murder will face necessary steps.”
The BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, was fiercely critical.
“Bakul Sheikh is a known offender. These days, TMC leaders are fighting among themselves, killing and injuring each other. These people were involved in smuggling of arms, fake currencies and narcotics, and yet, the police don’t act against them,” he claimed.
Armed goons gunned down Sarkar on January 2 in Malda. Police arrested Narendranath Tiwari, who was the Trinamool president of the Englishbazar town block committee, as one of the “two main conspirators” who allegedly hired gunmen to
murder Sarkar.