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One killed in CPI(M)-Trinamool clash

KOLKATA: One person was killed and five others, including a police officer, were injured in violence that broke out between supporters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Trinamool Congress in three villages in the Khanakul area of West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Thursday.

Even though the Trinamool Congress claimed that the victim, Ananta Dolui, was its supporter and alleged that he was killed by the CPI(M) cadres, the State’s Home Secretary, Ardhendu Sen, said that his political affiliation was yet to be ascertained.

According to Sailen Sinha, district president of the Trinamool Congress, armed cadres of the CPI(M) raided Majhpur, Baradighi and Chandrabhan villages in a series – firing indiscriminately at houses of Trinamool Congress supporters, ransacking and torching them .

“Mr. Dolui was shot at while he was working on the field. He died on the spot. Three other of our supporters also suffered bullet injuries,” Mr. Sinha told The Hindu over telephone.

The officer-in-charge of the Khanakul police station, Sukomal Das, also suffered a bullet injury in his leg when he, along with a police team, tried to intervene. His condition was later reported to be stable. Following a meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Mr. Sen told reporters here that Hooghly’s district magistrate and police superintendent have been asked to convene an all-party meeting to restore peace in the area.

“We want the police to take strong action, irrespective of party affiliation to bring the situation under control,” he said.

Speaking to a local television channel from New Delhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee held the “misadministration of the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government” responsible for the incident.

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One killed in CPI(M)-Trinamool clash

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