Killing of BJP worker kicks off political storm in poll bound Bengal

Further intensifying the political heat in the state ahead of the assembly polls early next year, the TMC and the BJP locked horns with the latter accusing that their party worker Ullen Roy was killed due to shotgun injuries fired by the police during the saffron partys- Uttarkanya Abhiyan on Monday.The allegation was dubbed as baseless both by the police and the TMC, which in turn accused the BJP of bringing in armed men at the rally with mala fide intention to foment trouble in the state ahead of the assembly polls.

The BJP and the TMC Tuesday sparred over the circumstances in which a saffron party worker was killed the previous day in Siliguri, with the former demanding a CBI probe into the incident while the state government handed over the investigation to the CID. Further intensifying the political heat in the state ahead of the assembly polls early next year, the TMC and the BJP locked horns with the latter accusing that their party worker Ullen Roy was killed due to shotgun injuries fired by the police during the saffron party's- ''Uttarkanya Abhiyan'' on Monday.

The allegation was dubbed as ''baseless'' both by the police and the TMC, which in turn accused the BJP of bringing in armed men at the rally with ''mala fide intention'' to foment trouble in the state ahead of the assembly polls. The state government handed over the investigation into the matter to the CID.

The West Bengal Police this morning rubbished the allegations of police firing and said the force does not use shotgun. ''As per the PM (post-mortem) report, 'death was due to the effects of shotgun injuries'. Police do not use shotguns.

It's obvious that during yesterday's protest in Siliguri, armed persons were brought and they fired from firearms,'' the West Bengal police said in a tweet. ''The deceased received pallet injuries from a shotgun fired from close range by a person standing near the deceased in the protest program. This is unprecedented. Bringing armed persons in protest programmes and inciting them to fire is unheard off (sic),'' it added.

The state police said that there was an intention to create violence by the use of firearms and the CID has been asked to investigate. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, without naming anyone, blamed the saffron party of ''killing people in its rallies'' and sought to know if it was done for propaganda.

''The BJP lies, kills people; it holds rallies and kills people. Are you doing it for publicity since there weren't many people in the rally? The police do not use these... Did you kill a man with pellets for the sake of publicity, for propaganda?'' Banerjee said at a public meeting at Raniganj here. Miffed over the developments, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident to bring out the truth.

''Our party worker was killed due to shotgun injury. The allegation against us that we had brought in armed men is completely baseless, and it is being said to cover up the police firing. ''If the state police is so confident of its statements, then why is it hesitant to hand over the investigation to the CBI,'' Ghosh told reporters.

Only a CBI investigation will bring out the truth, he asserted. Reacting to Banerjee's allegation, BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said ''such comments'' prove that the state government is trying to hide the truth.

''Such kind of illogical comments that BJP in its rally is killing its cadres is not only laughable but also baseless. Such comments are made only to prove that the state government is trying to hide the truth.

''The rule of law has ceased to exist, and goons dressed as police personnel along with the police attacked our cadres on Monday,'' he said. Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar summoned state Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay and DGP of West Bengal police Virendra and asked them to meet him by December 12, following the death of the BJP worker.

The BJP observed a 12-hour bandh in north Bengal in protest against the police action and the death of its party worker, which evoked mixed response. During the shutdown, clashes broke out between the TMC and the BJP over alleged tearing up of hoardings with Banerjee's picture.

The party also took out a candlelight protest march in central Kolkata to protest against killing of Roy. Elections to the 294-member state Assembly are likely in April-May next year.