West Bengal panchayat polls: A week before the panchayat elections in violence-ridden West Bengal, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker was allegedly shot dead by unidentified persons in the South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, according to police.
Sources informed that the victim was found lying dead with a bullet injury on his head on a road in the Basanti police station area, ANI reported. He has been identified as the 40-year-old Ziarul Molla.
Molla was an activist in the Trinamool Youth Congress from Khirishkhali village in Ramachandrakhali panchayat, as per information provided by sources in the victim's family and police. He was reportedly going home from Canning when unidentified persons shot at him on Saturday night in Phulmalanch panchayat.
"My father used to be a youth worker. Those who shot and killed him should be punished," said Mizanur Molla, the victim's son.
Canning Sub-Divisional Police Officer Dibakar Das said that they have asked Ziarul's family to file a complaint in connection with the incident. The body of the victim has been sent for post-mortem examination and a probe has been initiated into his murder.
The situation in West Bengal
The violent situation in West Bengal has been escalating ahead of the panchayat elections for 75,000 seats on June 8, resulting in deaths of several workers from all parties. On June 22, Dhananjay Chaubey, the president of TMC's Adra town, was shot dead at the party office in the Pandey Market in the Purulia district.
Before that, a TMC candidate, identified as Mustafa Sheikh, was beaten to death in Sujapur area in the Malda district on June 17, for which the ruling party blamed Congress.
A CPI(M) worker died in Siliguri from injuries suffered during a clash at Chopra in North Dinajpur district on June 15, the last day of nomination filing for the West Bengal panchayat elections. The party activist had suffered a bullet injury and was also allegedly beaten with sticks.
In light of the situation, the Calcutta High Court had ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate violent incidents involving the submission of nominations for the West Bengal panchayat elections.
Opposition parties in Bengal have alleged that their candidates and supporters faced violence and intimidation by TMC activists, while the ruling party has blamed the opposition for clashes at different places in the state during nomination filing and withdrawal of candidature period.
(with ANI inputs)
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