Four people died in Bengal on Saturday with two falling prey to political clashes between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) at Kultali in South 24 Parganas. The other two died while making bombs which accidentally went off in a house in Murshidabad district, police said.
In the first case a TMC worker was allegedly lynched by a 300-strong crowd mostly led by reported SUCI workers after a senior leader of that party was reportedly killed by the TMC men.
While a district Trinamool leader Saukat Mollah said the SUCI and the CPI(M) goons attacked and hacked a local TMC leader Aswhini Manna to death. The death was a result of clashes between the two sides that continued for several hours, locals said.
On the other hand SUCI leadership said that one of their district committee members Sudhanshu Jana was abducted from his house by the Ashwini’s men where after he was killed and hung from a tree.
While locals said that the clash was the result of a power tussle at Manipith-Baikunthapur panchayat others said that things came to a flash point after Sudhanshu gheraoed the local TMC office alleging nepotism and corruption in distributing post Amphan relief.
“As people came out in large number to protest against massive corruption in distribution of relief funds to the people —as is the case throughout the State — the TMC leader Ashwini Manna went out with his supporters to teach the SUCI leaders a lesson and went about torching their houses. This led to mass fury when villagers mounted a counter attack,” former SUCI MP Tarun Mandal said.
A large posse of police has been deployed in the sensitive area and investigations are on, district authorities said.
The second incident happened at Suti town in Murshidabad district’s Jangipur sub-division where two goons died while they were making bombs. Some other people have been injured and were being treated in a nearby hospital, police said adding the house has been damaged completely, and its owner is on the run.
The wife of the house owner was being questioned in connection with the incident, the officer said.