Image: ANI
At least eight deaths were reported from West Bengal’s Birbhum district on March 21, 2022 evening after several fire and bombing incidents, as per News18. Bhadu Sheikh, who was the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) gram Pradhan (Deputy Chief) of Barishal Gram Panchayat under Rampurhat block 1, was the first to die in a bomb attack.
As per the report, Sheikh’s alleged murder triggered massive uproar in the village that led to more deaths and chaos. An angry mob ransacked and set several houses on fire, leading to anywhere between 8-10 deaths, as per media reports. Villagers saw the local leader being attacked by four masked men on motorcycles.
Sheikh’s death also threw the state politics into chaos as rumours surfaced that the incident resulted from a fallout of rivalry between two factions of the ruling party. However, TMC Spokesperson Kunal Ghosh denied these allegations in a tweet on Tuesday.
Ghosh wrote in Bangla, “The death by fire in Rampurhat [is] sorry [and] unwanted. But it has nothing to do with politics. [It was a] local rural conflict, the day before, the Trinamool deputy chief was assassinated. He was popular. There was anger among the villagers. The fire broke out at night. Police and fire brigade have taken action.”
Stressing that the government is acting on the issue, he said that the SDPO was removed. Ghosh instead reminded people that “Regular untimely deaths and killings are going on in the state ruled by NDA. The situation in Bengal is good,” amidst frequent lines of the incident having no political influence.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter. The three-member SIT will include West Bengal top cop Gyanwant Singh, DIG (Operations) CID Meeraj Khalid and another top CID officer, Sanjay Singh, reported News18.
The FIR for Sheikh’s murder names 10 people, one of whom was arrested wand 15 other people were detained. However, the FIR does not look into the death and related arrests for the killing of local individuals.
Even Leader of Opposition BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari condemned what he estimated to be “12 people, mostly women” but called for central intervention rather than a better reaction to the survivors and victims’ families.
The nightlong barbarity has lead to the death of at least 12 people till now; mostly women. Charred bodies are being recovered as of now.
Administrative cover-up has already begun with attempts being made to lower the body count.IMMEDIATE CENTRAL INTERVENTION REQUIRED ?
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) March 22, 2022
In the ensuing chaos, a three-member TMC delegation of Firhad Hakim, Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee, and neighbouring Labpur constituency’s MLA Abhijit Sinha visited the area. The BJP also staged a walkout over the murder and fire issue in the West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday. MLAs called it a “middle-age barbarism” and demanded Banerjee’s resignation.
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