A Trinamool Congress member was shot dead and five other persons were injured on Tuesday in a clash between the ruling party and the Bharatiya Janata Party in Dinhata town of West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district, The Indian Express reported.
The Trinamool Congress alleged that members of the BJP fired at their party workers. The BJP denied the charges.
“There was a report of firing between two local groups in the Jari Dharla area of Gitaldaha,” a police officer told The Indian Express. “According to initial reports, five people were shot, out of which one named Babu Haque died.”
Cooch Behar Superintendent of Police Sumit Kumar said that the police were yet to ascertain the reason behind the clash, ETV Bharat reported.
The town president of the Trinamool Congress Anarul Haque alleged that miscreants backed by the BJP attacked his party members when they were sleeping inside a house after campaigning for the panchayat elections in West Bengal scheduled to be held on July 8.
“One person was shot and stabbed with sharp weapons...He died on the spot,” Haque told The Indian Express. “Five others who were allegedly shot were shifted to Cooch Behar Medical College in critical condition.”
BJP district chief Sukumar Roy denied the allegations and blamed the casualties on infighting within the Trinamool Congress.
Several incidents of violence have been reported in West Bengal since the nomination process for the panchayat polls started on June 9. At least eight persons have been killed in the violence. The Calcutta High Court has ordered the West Bengal State Election Commission to ask for over 82,000 personnel from central forces for deployment during the elections.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!