Malda, West Bengal: In a fresh case of violence related to the upcoming West Bengal Panchayat elections, a local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader was reportedly beaten to death by unidentified assailants. The family of the victim, Mustafa Sheikh, has accused local Congress workers of his murder.
According to reports, Sheikh was heading home when he was intercepted and attacked by unidentified assailants in Kaliachak area of West Bengal’s Malda district. He was rushed to a local hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.
Malda Police said a case was registered in connection with the TMC leader’s killing after initial investigation, one suspect, identified as Abdul Mannan (48), was taken into custody and is being questioned, adding that further probe in the case is ongoing.
Talking to news agency ANI, TMC MLA Shabina Yasmin said that Mustafa Sheikh, a former Panchayat Pradhan, was allegedly murdered in Sujapur’s Malda.
#UPDATE | The 48-year-old accused Abdul Mannan, has been detained. Further investigation underway: Malda Police https://t.co/yHWSUx8qyp
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023
Yasmin termed Sheikh’s killing a “political murder” and said that the party has filed a complaint with the administration and election commission in connection with the incident. “This is a political murder. Complaint has been given to administration and election commission,” Yasmin told reporters, according to ANI.
Yasmin alleged that Sheikh was killed by some local ex-TMC members of who had joined the Congress after the party denied them tickets.
“Those who want to end TMC from the grassroots level were not given a ticket. They joined Congress and got a ticket. After that, they started indulging in rowdyism and spreading terror in the area. Today, they killed former Pradhan, Mustafa Sheikh,” the TMC MLA said.
Congress refutes allegations
Meanwhile, local Congress leaders have refuted the allegations
The district Congress leadership denied the allegations and claimed that Sheikh’s murder was the result of infighting within the TMC.
“The allegation against us is baseless. The killing is due to infighting within the TMC. It has nothing to do with us,” news agency PTI quoted a local Congress leader as saying.
West Bengal has been rocked by widespread violence ahead of next month’s Panchayat Polls. Recently, two people died during clashes which erupted between TMC and Indian Secular Front (ISF) workers during the filing of nomination papers in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district.
In another incident, a CPI-M worker was killed in Chopra in North Dinajpur district while an outbreak of violence at the Block Development Office in Birbhum’s Ahmadpur, where crude bombs were reportedly thrown.
The three-tier West Bengal Panchayat polls are scheduled to be held on July 8.
(With inputs from agencies)
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