A Trinamool Congress leader was shot dead in South 24 Parganas district’s Bhangar in West Bengal on Sunday. The incident heightened the political temperature in the region once again. Panchayat leader Asikur Rahman died after being hit by a bullet on the head.
“We are investigating how and why was he shot,” a police officer said.
The region had been on the boil due to the state government’s land acquisition for a power sub-station. The TMC blamed activists Jami, Jibika, Paribesh O Bastutantra Raksha Committee (Committee to Protect Land, Livelihood, Environment and Ecosystem) for the killing. However, the committee, which has been spearheading the ongoing land agitation at Bhangar, claimed the death was caused by Trinamool’s faction fight.
The incident happened when the Committee together with the Left Front leadership were to hold a rally demanding the acquired land to be given back to the villagers. The Committee claimed that Rahman was killed by a bullet fired from the gun of one of his own party member.
Denying this, the local Trinamool leadership accused Committee activists of spreading tension. “Rahman was a devoted TMC activist…We think he was shot by someone from the Committee,” party leader Kaizar Ahmed alleged. “There is no faction fight between our party activists. The party is united.”
Following the incident, the government announced cancellation of the power grid project. Case is being probed.
