On Saturday, a BJP candidate's brother-in-law was found stabbed to death in Cooch Behar. On Saturday, a BJP candidate's brother-in-law was found stabbed to death in Cooch Behar. On Saturday, a BJP candidate's brother-in-law was found stabbed to death in Cooch Behar. West Bengal has witnessed a series of violence ahead of the panchayat polls scheduled for July 8. On Saturday, a BJP candidate's brother-in-law was found stabbed to death in Cooch Behar. Sambhu Das, 30, was called outside his home by unidentified youths on Saturday night, police said. Hours later his body with stab wounds was found near a pond, according to the news agency PTI.
Union Minister of State (Home) Nisith Pramanik visited the residence of Das to meet his family. Speaking to reporters, the minister on Sunday said the youth was murdered by miscreants sheltered by the ruling Trinamool Congress and police and the ruling party supporters were cooking up "stories of love and extramarital affairs whenever an incident happened to deflect attention."
Pramanik said everyone's security was at stake under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "There had been attacks even on my life by TMC goons in the past as policemen, who have become stooges of the ruling party, watched silently," he said, adding that whenever poll dates are announced in West Bengal, opposition party activists and their family members are killed by members and supporters of the ruling party.
BJP leader Ajoy Roy had earlier alleged that Das, who had seconded the name of Bisakha Das as a BJP gram panchayat candidate from Dasgram area in Dinhata, was murdered by the TMC supporters.
West Bengal minister Udayan Guha, however, denied the claim and said the party had no role in the incident and Das was not a political activist. "Das was killed due to a personal feud. The BJP gives a political twist to every crime in West Bengal and links it with the panchayat polls," he told reporters.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar warned of "far-reaching dangerous consequences" if hooligans sheltered by the Trinamool are not reined in.
BJP's Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday said the opposition candidates who had been brave enough to file nominations were being hounded during the scrutiny process. "Simultaneously they are being threatened to withdraw, otherwise...," he said.
Pramanik on Saturday claimed despite the imposition of Section 144, the West Bengal police had let the "TMC goons unleash violence" on the BJP candidates. He said women Karyakartas were molested inside the Sahebganj BD office and many candidates were severely injured and had been hospitalised.
https://twitter.com/NisithPramanik/status/1670017672292225024
Adhikari condemned the attack and said if a central minister was not safe in the state, what is the condition of the general public and opposition candidates and party workers "who are being attacked within the BDO Office premises where Sec 144 is imposed".
(With inputs from PTI)