A BJP worker was found dead with multiple injuries in East Burdwan’s Purbasthali on Sunday, within 24 hours of another allegedly lynched in Halisahar, North 24-Parganas.
The body of Sukhdeb Pramanik, 33, was found in a pond. The BJP linked his death with his presence at a rally on December 10 to condemn the attack on J.P. Nadda’s convoy.
BJP’s Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya accused Mamata Banerjee of “trying to retain power only through violence” and said he would appeal to the Election Commission to deploy central forces now.
Trinamul dismissed the allegations.
Early on Sunday, police also arrested three Trinamul workers in connection with the murder of Halisahar’s BJP booth-committee head Saikat Bhawal on Saturday. Saikat had been lynched during a BJP outreach event near his home. Suman Saha, Sudipta Ghosh and Somnath Ganguly (a.k.a. Kelta) were arrested based on a complaint filed by Saikat’s brother Sagar with Bijpur police.
The trio, allegedly close aides of Trinamul leader Subodh Adhikary, were produced before a court in Barrackpore and ordered three-day police custody. Another prime accused named in the FIR is missing.
Trinamul leader Adhikary denied the allegations, claiming the murder had no political link and was a fallout of personal rivalry. “We told police to arrest culprits without considering political identities,” he said.
Ajoy Thakur, joint commissioner of the Barrackpore police commissionerate, said they had begun a murder case. “Three persons out of four named in the FIR have been arrested,” he said.
Earlier in the day, BJP supporters demonstrated in front of Bijpur police station, accusing the police administration of inaction over alleged atrocities unleashed by ruling Trinamul. BJP leader and Bijpur MLA Subhranshu Roy said: “Trinamul has to pay the price for this politics of violence. They are afraid of losing power and are trying to unleash terror. We have been showing restraint despite losing our party workers. But, if the police take it as a sign of our weakness, they would be making a blunder”.
Other clashes
Tension flared at Saalbagan under ward 12 of Burdwan town after a BJP party office was allegedly set on fire by suspected Trinamul supporters. BJP supporters blocked an arterial road for about four hours in protest, shortly before a Trinamul party office was ransacked allegedly by suspected BJP supporters in the town in an apparent retaliation. In Hansnabad’s Parghata area, at least 10 Trinamul supporters and a civic volunteer were injured during a clash with BJP supporters on Sunday morning over retaining control of a fish farm.
