Panchayat leader killed, eight charred to death: Understanding the unrest in West Bengal’s Birbhum district

Tensions are running high in Birbhum district in West Bengal. After a deputy gram pradhan of the Trinamool Congress was killed in a bomb attack, 10-12 houses were set on fire at Rampurhat in the district.

What is exactly going on and here’s what the government has to say.

Bomb attacks and arson

On Monday evening, Bhadu Sheikh, 38, the deputy pradhan (TMC) of Barishal Gram Panchayat under Rampurhat block 1 was allegedly killed when four men on motorcycles hurled a crude bomb at him.

Sheikh was taken to the Rampurhat government hospital but was declared brought dead. His body has been brought to his native Bagtui village in Rampurhat.

The police filed an FIR in the case. As per a News18 report, the police was quoted as saying that one person from the list had been arrested while 15 others have been detained.

Shortly after the death, violence broke out in Rampurhat when a mob allegedly locked up 10-12 houses with the residents inside and set them on fire.

West Bengal | Around 10-12 houses were set on fire last night. A total of 10 dead bodies have been recovered, 7 dead bodies were retrieved from a single house: Fire officials on death of several people after a mob allegedly set houses on fire and killed a TMC leader in Birbhum. pic.twitter.com/KOW2ldlCgy

— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2022

DGP Manoj Malaviya told reporters in Kolkata, according to a PTI report that seven charred bodies were recovered from one of the burnt houses, while one injured person died in hospital.

He added that the situation was now under control and a police picket has been established in the village since last night. “We are investigating how the houses caught fire and whether the incident is related to the death of the panchayat deputy chief of Barshal village,” he was quoted as saying.

The fire brigade officials, however, claimed that 10 charred bodies had been found.

Taking cognisance of the violence, the Mamata Banerjee-led government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the additional director general of police (CID), Gyanwant Singh, to probe the incident.

Also, the Sub Divisional Police Officer and in-charge of Rampurhat police station has been removed from active policing duty.

A three-member TMC delegation — comprising Firhad Hakim, Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee, and MLA of Labpur constituency Abhijit Sinha — is also visiting the violent-hit area.

BJP vs TMC

The violence has led to a war of words between the TMC and the BJP. The issue also resonated inside the West Bengal Assembly with the BJP MLAs also staging a walkout.

News18 in a report said that BJP MLAs termed the incident “middle-age barbarism", while demanding a statement from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the floor of the House over the cause of the violence and the steps being taken over it.

The party also demanded resignation of Mamata Banerjee as Bengal home minister.

Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and Mamata’s arch rival, tweeted on the incident, slamming the ‘rapid freefall of law and order in the state’.

Law & order in a rapid freefall in WB.
Tension & terror has gripped Rampurhat area of Birbhum district, after a panchayat upoprodhan (deputy chief); Bhadu Sheik was reportedly killed last evening in a bomb attack.
Angry mob ransacked and set afire several houses afterwards.

— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) March 22, 2022

On the other hand, TMC’s spokesperson Kunal Ghosh claimed that the incident is not connected to politics.

“The deaths due to the fire incident in Rampurhat is unfortunate. But it has got nothing to do with politics. It is a local conflict. Yesterday, TMC’s deputy gram pradhan was killed. He was popular. People were angry. The fire incident took place a few hours after the incident at night. The police and fire officials are taking action,” said Ghosh.

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar also took note of the violence and sought an urgent update from the chief secretary.

Evoking memories of 2001

The Telegraph reported that the incident in Rampurhat was reminiscent of an incident from 21 years ago.

In the then unheard village of Chhoto Angaria in West Midnapore’s Garbeta, 11 Trinamool workers were claimed to have been burnt to death by local Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders on the night of 4 January 2001.

Mamata Banerjee, the then main Opposition leader, had hit the streets to draw political capital from the flames of Chhoto Angaria. Thirteen people charged in the 2001 massacre were acquitted in 2009 for lack of evidence.

With inputs from agencies

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