Trinamool takes out peace rally in Bengal's Titagarh, accuses BJP of fuelling tension

TITAGARH: The TMC on Tuesday took out a "peace rally" in Titagarh area of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, where opposition BJP leader Manish Shukla was killed last week, sparking fear among local people.

Led by senior leaders Firhad Hakim and Jyotipriyo Mullick, TMC activists embarked on a silent rally from Titagarh police station to Barrackpore-Chiriamore intersection.

Later, while addressing a street corner meeting, Hakim, the state municipal affairs minister, accused the BJP of fuelling tension in the area.

"The BJP is trying to fuel tension in the area to serve its political interests. After the saffron party won the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat last year; it let loose a reign of terror on the entire belt. We will not allow the BJP to turn Barrackpore into killing fields," Hakim said.

Echoing him, cabinet colleague Mullick said the BJP brought in goons from other states to create tension.

He also squarely blamed Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh for stirring up trouble in the area.

"BJP MP Arjun Singh is responsible for the tension and the trouble in the area. His men have unleashed violence on innocent locals and TMC workers."

"The police and the CID will bring out the truth in Shukla's murder case. The TMC is nowhere involved in this politics of killing and arson. The BJP believes in it," Mullick, who is also the party's district president, said.

Shukla, a close aide of BJP MP Arjun Singh and local councillor, was shot dead on October 4 evening by a gang of four bike-borne men near Titagarh police station.

The BJP has accused the TMC of orchestrating the murder, a charge vehemently denied by the Mamata Banerjee-led ruling party.