A Trinamul worker in Hooghly whom BJP activists had allegedly warned against attending Mamata Banerjee’s July 21 rally was beaten to death on Monday night, his hands, legs and ribs so badly broken that an autopsy could not be carried out at a local hospital.

Family members of Lalchand Bag, 37, alleged that BJP activists in Goghat were behind the murder, a charge denied by the party.

Bag’s family members said BJP workers in the area — a former CPM stronghold that switched allegiance to the BJP after the recent Lok Sabha polls — had asked them not to attend the Martyrs’ Day rally in Calcutta on Sunday. Sources said a group had attacked Bag’s house at Dari-Nakunda village on Sunday night but police drove them away.

On Monday night, the Trinamul worker was beaten with rods and sticks when he was returning home from the market. Trinamul leaders said he was beaten so brutally that his hands, legs and ribs were broken and his private parts were smashed.

Bag was found lying near a bush in the village around 10.30pm on Monday. A local Trinamul leader, Jamir Akhtar, saw him and took him to Arambagh sub-divisional hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. So badly damaged was the body that it had to be sent to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital for the autopsy.

Bag, a marginal farmer, is survived by his wife, two daughters, elderly father and three brothers.

Police sources said Bag was on his way home when he was waylaid by a group that took him to a cowshed and beat him to death before dumping the body near a bush.

The police have arrested six persons — two of whom are known BJP workers — of the 21 named in the FIR lodged by Bag’s elder brother Bablu.

Several Trinamul leaders, including Hooghly unit president Dilip Yadav and Goghat MLA Manas Majumder, visited the village and stayed with Bag’s family till the post-mortem was completed on Tuesday.

According to family members and local Trinamul leaders, BJP workers, most of whom switched to the saffron camp from the CPM after the Lok Sabha polls, had warned the ruling party’s supporters against participating in the July 21 rally.

Bag and his three brothers attended the meeting.

“They had threatened my husband earlier and asked him not to go to Calcutta. But we are all Trinamul supporters and love Mamata Banerjee. My husband had openly said that no one could stop him from attending the rally. He had to pay with his life,” said Rina, Bag’s wife.

BJP leaders denied any involvement in the murder.

“Trinamul is falsely blaming the BJP. The death is the fallout of Trinamul’s infighting,” said Biman Ghosh, a local leader.