The police are investigating whether the murder was fallout of political rivalry or personal enmity.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
A newly elected Trinamool Congress panchayat member was killed at Magrahat in West Bengal’s South 24 parganas district. Maimur Gharami, who was returning home late on Friday, was attacked and killed near his residence at Arjunpur village under Margrahat police station.
Shahjamul Molla, who accompanied him, also sustained bullet injury and has been admitted to a State-run hospital.
Local Trinamool Congress leadership, including an MLA, and the family members of the deceased said that the killing was a political murder ahead of formation of board at the panchayat level. The police, however, said that the death could be the result of a land dispute. Four persons were arrested in connection with the incident.
The Trinamool Congress leadership had directed that boards at three tier panchayats should be formed before August 16. The death of a ruling party functionary has once again triggered discourse on political violence in the State, particularly the recently concluded panchayat polls. More than 50 persons have lost their lives in the rural polls that were marred by violence.
Also read | West Bengal panchayat polls | Political blame game over violence
Thakur blames Mamata
In another development, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur on July 29 blamed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the violence in the rural polls.
“I would like to say that in the recently concluded panchayat polls, over 57 people have been killed. To fulfill Mamata Banerjee’s wishes, people were killed. The entire law and order in West Bengal is in shambles,” the BJP leader told journalists in Kolkata.
State’s Industry Minister and senior Trinamool Congress leader Shashi Panja raised questions on the timing of Mr. Thakur’s visit to West Bengal. “Instead of being in Manipur, he is in West Bengal and speaking on violence during rural polls. The Prime Minister and other Union Ministers are also silent on Manipur. The BJP creates and propagates violence,” Dr. Panja said.
She also said that Mr. Thakur was the one who had said ‘Goli maro desh ke gaddaro ko’ (shoot the traitors) and he should be behind bars for such outrageous remarks.