Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was killed after clashes erupted in Khanakul area in West Bengal’s Hooghly over flag hoisting on Independence day.
BJP has alleged that Sudarshan Pramanik (40) was beaten to death by Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters.
Trouble began on Saturday morning when both BJP and TMC workers gathered to hoist the national flag at their respective party offices located in Natibpur. Soon, supporters of both the rival parties came to blows after a heated altercation.
“Sudarshan was our active booth level worker. He was preparing to hoist the flag this morning. TMC goons attacked and killed him. We don’t know how many BJP workers will have to lay down their lives to free Bengal of TMC’s jungle raj,” said Biman Ghosh, Arambagh BJP in-charge.
BJP Bengal’s official Twitter handle also hit out at the ruling TMC over the incident and said, “Sudarshan Pramanik, booth worker from Arambagh was brutally murdered while flag hoisting on Independence Day. Suspects are from the ruling party who are on a killing spree even on the Independence Day. We must take a pledge for a #MamataMuktoBengal today”.
Rubbishing the charges, TMC Hooghly district president Dilip Yadav said the death was due to factional fight between two factions of the BJP.
“TMC has got nothing to do with the incident. Police is probing the matter. BJP is trying to create anarchy by indulging in violence. We urge people to resist such politics,” he said.
Agitated BJP workers led by party MPs Saumitra Khan and Jyotirmoy Mahato blocked the state highway to Kolkata with the body of the deceased BJP worker. Police had to resort of mild lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. BJP has called for a 12 hours Khanakul bandh on Sunday in protest against the incident.
Hooghly police superintendent Tathagata Basu informed that eleven people have been detained in connection with the incident. “We cannot comment on the deceased’s political affiliation. We are yet to receive any formal complaint,” he said.
Questioning the role of West Bengal Police, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said, “We all know the state of democracy in Bengal. Violence continues unabated even on Independence day so we need to launch another freedom struggle to reinstall democracy in Bengal.”
