A Trinamul leader was shot at on Saturday morning in Cooch Behar’s Dinhata during a protest by party supporters and a section of local residents in front of the house of a BJP leader.
Tapash alias Biju Das, who took a bullet in his abdomen, is under treatment at MJN Medical College & Hospital.
Local Trinamul MLA Udayan Guha has accused BJP leader Ajoy Roy of firing at Biju. Roy’s family members have denied the charge and alleged that the incident was fallout of an attack on them by Trinamul supporters.
Sources said Roy had left the Trinamul to join the BJP last year. Soon after his defection, he was accused of organising an attack on Guha, which had left the MLA with a fractured hand.
Roy was arrested and later released on bail. However, fearing retaliation by the Trinamul, he stayed away from Dinhata.
On Saturday, Trinamul supporters got information that Roy had been provided security cover by the central forces and was scheduled to arrive at his home. A section of Trinamul started started demonstrating in front of Roy’s house on Baronachina Road. A gunshot was heard in the commotion and a bullet hit Das.
“Biju was passing through the locality in a bike when someone fired from Roy’s house. We want the police to arrest Roy,” Guha said while demonstrating in front of Dinhata police station.
BJP leaders and family members of Roy have denied the charges. “A group of Trinamul leaders tried to attack us with crude bombs and firearms. It was during that time that one of them was hit by a bullet,” Roy’s wife Bithika said.
District BJP leader Biraj Bose said: “Trinamul has won the civic body uncontested, but now infighting has cropped up within the party over the selection of the civic chairman. We believe today’s incident is a fallout of Trinamul’s inner rivalry,” he said.
A senior police officer said a probe had been initiated.