Suspected BJP supporters set alight the residence of a Trinamool Congress worker in Cooch Behar district on Saturday early morning, prompting TMC activists to hold a demonstration and stage a road blockade.

Swapna Saha, the wife of TMC worker Kanailal Saha who stays at Bajrapur village under the jurisdiction of Boxirhat police station in Tufanganj subdivision, filed a police complaint.

The complaint mentions the names of 16 persons, including Sahas’ neighbours and BJP members of the local Salbari 2 panchayat.

“They sprinkled petrol on our house and set it afire around 2.30am,” Swapna said in the complaint.

Kanaialal alleged that his hut had been torched as part of a plot to oust the family from the village. “We had faced similar attacks earlier. They want to oust us from the village as we are TMC supporters,” he said.

Over 100 Trinamool supporters assembled on a road in the Bajrapur area around 1pm and raised a blockade in protest against the arson.

“We want the accused to be arrested. They should be punished for such an unprovoked attack,” said a demonstrator.

The road blockade was lifted around 2pm after the Boxirhat police assured the agitators that action would be taken against the arsonists.

The BJP brushed aside the charges.

“The TMC is determined to gain control of the local panchayat. That is why they are implicating our panchayat members and local leaders in false cases. The idea is to exert pressure on them so that they defect to the TMC,” said a BJP leader.

Woman dies

Rinky Parveen, 19, from Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district, died on Saturday morning after she choked on a betel nut, said sources.

Rinky, who stayed at Jhumur in Dhupguri block, drank tea on Saturday morning and then took a betel nut for chewing. It got stuck in her throat. When Rinky complained of breathing problems, her family members rushed her to the subdivisional hospital where doctors pronounced her dead.

Police sent the body for post-mortem.