2 killed, 4 injured in clash over panchayat board formation in Malda

Two persons were killed and four others, including a three-year-old boy, injured when two groups, allegedly belonging to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), clashed today over the formation of the Gopalpur gram panchayat board in West Bengal's Malda district, police said.

Firearms and bombs were used during the clash in which the boy and a Congress supporter were injured.

The Congress had extended support to one of the Trinamool Congress groups to keep at bay communal forces and hence some of its members were present at the site of the clash, party sources said.

Both the boy and the Congress supporter have been admitted to the Malda Medical College and Hospital. The two other injured were also admitted to a rural hospital at Manikchak, the police said.

The deceased have been identified as Salam Sheikh and Azahar Sheikh.

Superintendent of Police Arnab Ghosh rushed to the spot and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) patrolled the area. The situation is now under control, the police said.

District Congress general secretary Kali Sadhan Roy said the Congress was not involved in the clash.

"The Trinamool Congress was unable to decide on the gram panchayat board chief and we did not put up any candidate. It is entirely their own fight," he claimed.

Manikchak block TMC president and former minister Sabitri Mitra claimed that a Congress supporter delivered a provocative speech outside the panchayat office that led to the incident.

She said there is no tension near the panchayat office where the voting took place.

There are no candidates from the opposition parties for the post of the chief of the 10-member gram panchayat board, Mitra added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)