BJP plans documentary film on Purulia deaths

Agitation by leaders of the Bengal unit of the BJP continues in Purulia town. Party president Amit Shah likely to visit the district later this month.

kolkata Updated: Jun 09, 2018 15:56 IST
BJP workers agitating in New Delhi against the death of party worker Trilochan Mahato in Bengal on June 1, 2018.(HT Photo)

The BJP has decided to make a documentary film on the death of two of its workers in Bengal’s Purulia district to highlight the ‘political terror’ unleashed by ruling Trinamool Congress in the state.

Trilochan Mahato was found hanging from a tree in Supurdi village on May 31, while Dulal Kumar was hanging from a high tension electric pole on June 2 near Dabha village, both in Balarampur block.

“We have sent numerous video clips involving the Purulia deaths, including reports in news channels, to our national IT cell that will make the documentary. It will be shown in different parts of India and all over Bengal,” said a leader of BJP’s Bengal unit who did not want to be quoted.

“I cannot comment anything at this stage. We will issue a detailed press release at the right time,” said BJP national IT cell chief Amit Malviya on Friday.

In the meantime, BJP leaders continued their agitation in Purulia over the two deaths. On Friday, BJP MP and MoS heavy industries, Babul Supriyo, visited the families of Mahato and Kumar. He first attended BJP’s indefinite sit-in dharna in front of the office of the district magistrate and then went to the houses of the deceased.

“We squarely blame Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamool’s youth wing chief Abhishek Banerjee for the killings. His speeches seeking for an opposition-free Purulia encouraged local Trinamool hooligans to unleash terror so that they could please their masters,” Supriyo said.

Trinamool Congress leaders took out a rally in the same area protesting the steep hike in the prices of petrol and diesel.

Both the parties have lined up a series of political programmes in Purulia.

These developments took place on a day when the Supreme Court refused to hear a plea for CBI investigation into the Purulia deaths and asked the petitioner to approach the Calcutta high court.

The petition was filed by the father of 35-year-old Dulal Kumar in the apex court.

None has been arrested for the deaths so far.

Bengal BJP leader Pratap Banerjee said that the party is yet to decide on whether to move court separately seeking an investigation by CBI.

However, the party has already undertaken a programme to highlight the alleged terror by Trinamool Congress in Delhi.

Abhisekh Banerjee, however, has already refuted the charges Supriyo made, saying that he asked the party workers to politically trounce the opposition, which was not the same as physically eliminating them.

Trinamool’s Friday rally in Balarampur, too, was organised as per Banerjee’s instructions. The rally witnessed a massive crowd. with Trinamool workers from all parts of the district attending. However, according to local sources, there was too little participation from Balarampur’s local people.

“The rally is to make people aware of BJP’s policies. The people chose them in the rural elections due to a variety of local reasons. We wanted to expose BJP’s real face before the people of Balarampur,” said Shantiram Mahato, who is the local MLA.

Purulia has emerged as a theatre of confrontation between the BJP that has won 645 gram panchayat seats in the district against the ruling party’s 839.