A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was found dead in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Monday.
The body of Dhormo Hazra, a BJP worker, was found in a pond in Saktipur village. His family members said that Mr. Hazra, who could not be traced since Sunday evening, was found dead in a pond with his hands tied.
Mr. Hazra’s family members alleged that he was killed by ruling party's cadres. Trinamool Congress [TMC] leadership however has denied the allegation and accused the BJP of “shamelessly spreading lies” about the incident. About a month ago, after bodies of two BJP workers were found hanging in Purulia district, cases of murder were lodged by the State’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
“I am sure that he (Mr. Hazra) was killed by TMC cadres as they have been threatening him. Even on the day of the rural polls TMC goons threatened to murder him,” Manu Hazra, Mr. Hazra’s wife told The Hindu . She also said that the 11 suspects whom she named in the complaint to the police were all TMC workers. In her police complaint, also Ms. Hazra alleged that TMC workers were threatening to kill her husband.
District police officials said that no one has been arrested in the case so far. “There is no mention of any external injuries in the post-mortem report. Some amount of alcohol was also found in his (Mr. Hazra’s) stomach. There has not been any arrest in the case. Investigation is going on,” Mukesh Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Murshidabad said.
In his post on a microblogging site, BJP's national president Amit Shah alleged that TMC masterminded the killing of Mr. Hazra. “TMC shames humanity, yet again. Another BJP karyakarta killed in the most barbaric manner. In Mamata's regime, West Bengal has become an epitome of violence and brutality,” Mr. Shah tweeted.
TMC denies allegations
Denying the allegation, the TMC leadership accused the BJP of resorting to falsehood and warned of a defamation suit if BJP was unable to prove its allegations.
“Presenting judge, jury, and executioners of #NewIndia - @bjp4bengal @amitshah @dilipghoshBJP @supriyobabul shamelessly spreading lies about #Bengal Their worker died but even before any investigations carried out they concoct. Not waiting for autopsy report? Prove or face defamation,” TMC said in a statement on its official twitter handle.
Terming the allegation as “baseless and fabricated” TMC observer in Murshidabad and State’s Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that “the death (of Mr. Hazra) has nothing to do with politics. It has become Mr. Shah’s habit to make false allegations.”
