Three persons were killed and five others were injured in a blanket distribution programme at Asansol in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district on Wednesday, police said.

The stampede occurred when people rushed towards the dais in an attempt to get blankets.

“Three persons were killed and five others were injured in the stampede. The injured people were hospitalised," a senior official of Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate said.

Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari was present at the programme organised by a religious group. The stampede took place after the BJP leader left the venue.

Police said no permission was taken from them for the event.

According to sources in the Asansol police, the BJP had not taken permission for the event.The ruling Trinamul Congress squarely blamed Suvendu Adhikari for organising a rally without police permission. Kunal Ghosh, a spokesperson of the TMC, said, "This is a very unfortunate incident...Suvendu Adhikari did not take permission for the event. In the name of blanket distribution, Adhikari called a large number of people to a place, which did not have the capacity to accommodate such a large crowd...Total lack of coordination. Suvendu Adhikari played with the lives of poor people. He is doing politics without any sense of moral responsibility."

"I want to tell BJP leaders what are they doing giving the reins of their party to a mad person? Suvendu must apologize. Why should he not be held accountable?," said Kunal Ghosh.

The battle between the ruling TMC and Opposition BJP is becoming more with the panchayat elections scheduled to be held next year.