Four people have been arrested and an FIR registered against former West Bengal minister and CPI-M leader Kanti Ganguly in connection with the killing of at least four Trinamool Congress activists in South 24-Parganas district.
The incident happened in Khari village in Raidighi in the district Saturday night when some miscreants hurled bombs and opened fire at the activists, killing four of them and injuring three others when they had gathered together for a meeting.
“We have arrested four people in this connection,” Superintendent of Police (South 24-Parganas) Pravin Kumar Tripathi said.
“Twenty-one people have been named in the FIR, including Ganguly,” he added.
Reacting to the development, Ganguly rubbished the charges and said it was an attempt to malign him.
Accusing the Communist Party of India-Marxist activist for the attack, the Trinamool has said it will observe a “Black Day” Monday while a party delegation led by general secretary Mukul Roy will visit the victims’ families.
“Trinamool will observe a Black Day tomorrow (Monday) across the state to protest the murder of party workers. A team of senior Trinamool leaders will visit Khari village in Raidighi,” senior party leader Partha Chatterjee said.
Incidentally, the BJP which has sent a central delegation to the state to meet the family members of one of its activists killed allegedly by Trinamool goons in Birbhum district, has derided the Mamata Banerjee government over rising incidents of political violence in Bengal.
“Since the Mamata Banerjee government took over, political violence has been on the rise and BJP activists steadily targeted. Since her party came to power, 157 political killings have taken place and 35 political activists have been compelled to commit suicide,” BJP vice president Balbir Punj, who is heading the delegation, said.
Charging the BJP and the CPI-M with conspiracy, the ruling Trinamool Congress Sunday accused former state minister and Marxist leader Kanti Ganguly of being involved in the killings of its four activists in West Bengal.
Ganguly, along with 21 others, has been named in the first information report for the incident that happened in Khari village in South 24 Parganas district Saturday night when some miscreants hurled bombs and opened fire at Trinamool activists, killing four of them and injuring three others.
A Trinamool delegation led by general secretary Mukul Roy and senior leader Partha Chatterjee Sunday visited Khari village and talked to locals.
“Locals have told us that hours before the attack Kanti Ganguly visited the place. They have alleged his connivance in the attack.
“We have instructed the administration to bring this fact under the purview of their investigation and hand over exemplary punishment to the perpetrators,” Chatterjee said after the visit.
Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to create unrest in Bengal.
“There is a conspiracy by the BJP and the CPI-M to discredit our government by creating communal tension and incite violence. We will not tolerate this we will take strong action,” said Banerjee.
Rubbishing the allegations, Ganguly attributed the killings to Trinamool’s internal feud.
“The allegations against me are baseless. In fact, the incident is an outcome of internal feud in the Trinamool between those who have newly joined the party and the old timers.
“The CPI-M has nothing to do with the attack. The Trinamool is dragging CPI-M into this to malign us,” said Ganguly.
The BJP too has refuted the charges.
Four people were arrested and remanded to police custody by a local court during the day.
The Trinamool has said it will observe a “Black Day” across the state Tuesday in protest of the attack.
(IANS)