The gruesome murder of a school teacher, his wife and minor son in Murshidabad acquired political overtones on Thursday with the BJP and West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar hitting out at the Mamata Banerjee Government over the killings, and the RSS claiming the teacher was its supporter.
Dhankhar said the incident “put humanity to shame”, and castigated the State machinery for alleged lack of response.
The governor told PTI he has also sought a report from the State government “on an urgent basis” on the incident that has sent shock waves across the country.
The State’s ruling Trinamool Congress hit back, accusing Dhankar of “speaking selectively” and acting in a manner that does not “behove a governor”.
“The incident puts humanity to shame. A teacher, his pregnant wife, and son are killed in a barbaric manner.No response from the state machinery. This cannot be countenanced,” the governor said.
Bandhu Prakash Pal, the 35-year-old teacher, his pregnant wife Beauty and 8-year-old son Angan were found lying in pools of blood in their house at Jiaganj in Murshidabad district on Tuesday when Durga Puja festivities were on.
The three were killed by unidentified miscreants, police had said on Wednesday.
According to police, it has come across a page of a diary which suggested “likely strained relations” between the victim couple.
“The investigation is on. We are looking into all the angles. But we have no clue whether he is a member or supporter of any organisation or political outfit,” a senior police official told PTI, adding three people have been detained for questioning.
Reacting sharply to the governor’s statement, senior TMC leader Tapas Roy accused Dhankar of “speaking selectively” on incidents of violence in the State.
“When a TMC worker is killed in Paskura in East Midnapore, he doesn’t make a statement. He assumed office recently and has already started speaking selectively. This doesn’t behove a governor,” he said.
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijaywargiya, who is also in charge of his party’s affairs in Bengal, lashed out at state government over the killings.
“What can be more heinous than this? RSS worker Bandhu Prakash Pal, his pregnant wife and their eight-year-old child were brutally killed in Murshidabad. How can law and order of a state be considered good when the life of a common man is not safe? What is happening ‘didi’ in your rule,” he said in a tweet.