Post-poll violence in West Bengal: BJP worker believed to be murdered for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram'; two killed in bomb blast in Kankinara

Two people were killed and four injured in an explosion in Kankinara area of West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Monday night, ANI reported. According to the report, locals said that unidentified miscreants lobbed a crude bomb. Kankinara witnessed violence during the Lok Sabha election as well as clashes were reported between BJP and TMC workers. Meanwhile, BJP claimed that one of its workers was killed by TMC goons in Howrah for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Though police confirmed the death of 43-year-old Samatul Doloi, whose body was found in a field at Sarpota village under Amta Police Station limits, officers were tight-lipped about the cause of the death, PTI reported. He had gone to attend a function on Sunday night but did not return home. His body with a noose around the neck was found on Monday morning, locals sources said. BJP’s Howrah rural president Anupam Mullick claimed that Doloi was a party supporter and was killed by Trinamool Congress workers for chanting “Jai Shri Ram”. “Dolui was active in BJP and gave the party a lead from his booth in the Lok Sabha polls. He had received death threats soon after he took out ‘Jai Sri Ram’ rallies in the locality. Trinamool-backed anti-socials ransacked his house immediately after polls,” Mullick said. According to The Times of India’s report, when some miscreants tried to snatch Doloi’s body while it was being taken for post-mortem, villagers protested, prompting the district administration to deploy RAF. [caption id=“attachment_6791401” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] RAF was deployed in sensitive zones after clashes broke out in many areas of West Bengal. ANI[/caption] The TMC, meanwhile, claimed that the victims were supporters of the party and were targeted by miscreants hired by the BJP, a charge denied by the saffron party. The two deceased were identified as Mohammed Mukhtar and Mohammed Halim, police said. Three people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the incident, they added. State minister and TMC’s district president Jyotipriya Mallick alleged that the victims were targeted by miscreants hired by the BJP because they had voted for the ruling party in the state in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. On Sunday, an RSS veteran, Swadesh Manna, too was found hanging from a tree in Atchata village. Manna was also taking out local ‘Jai Sri Ram’ rallies for the past few days. “In both cases, Trinamool supporters have killed our party workers,” Mullick alleged. However, denying the charge, Trinamool Congress MLA Samir Panja said the truth will come out in an impartial probe. Trinamool MLA Pulak Roy also denied his party men’s involvement. “BJP is trying to shame us. But none of our workers is linked to it,” he was quoted as saying in the report. In another incident in Sodepur, two disgruntled security men Rakesh Das (38) and Sujit Biswas (40) were beaten up with iron rods by suspected members of Trinamool’s trade union wing Inttuc, said reports. Das and Biswas had reportedly tried to float a BJP-affiliated union. A complaint has been lodged against six Inttuc ‘members’ at Khardah police station. On Saturday, at least three men were killed in North 24 Parganas district in clashes between workers of the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday, a day after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an advisory to the West Bengal government expressing “deep concern” over the death of people in a post-poll clash that ensued between BJP and TMC workers. In the advisory to the state government, the MHA has stated: “It is strongly advised to ensure that all necessary measures are taken to maintain law and order, peace and public tranquillity. It is also requested to take strict action against officials found delinquent in the discharge of their duty.” Issuing a response on the home ministry’s advisory, Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government wrote a letter to it stating that the law and order situation was “under control” in the state. West Bengal chief secretary Malay Kumar De informed the ministry that “firm and appropriate actions” were initiated in case of a few “stray post-poll clashes” in the state. In the letter, De has claimed that the clashes were perpetrated by “some anti-social elements”. The clash between the two factions was triggered by the removal of BJP’s flag in Sandeshkhali Assembly constituency of North 24 Parganas on Saturday. BJP leader Mukul Roy has alleged that four workers of his party were shot dead by the members of TMC. The ruling TMC, on the other hand, has alleged that a member of their party has also died in the clashes. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah sought a report from the state government on the incidents of violence. With inputs from agencies