Killing of former CPI-M MLA rocks West Bengal Assembly

The recent killing of a former CPI-M MLA rocked the West Bengal Assembly today with the Congress demanding a CBI probe into the incident.

The opposition Congress did not relent even after chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee announced that the Birbhum SP was being removed in the wake of the killing of Ananda Das at Nanoor on Tuesday. Congress said before removing the SP, Bhattacharjee should step down as Home Minister.

Making a statement in the House on the killing of the former CPI-M MLA, Bhattacharjee said about 200 Trinamool Congress supporters attacked CPI(M) zonal party office at Sankkulipur and damaged it. Subsequently, they also attacked the residence of Das and shot him.

He said since the incident took place abruptly and there was not adequate number of police personnel, effective steps could not be taken against the attackers.

To a question by RSP MLA Tapan Hore who had visited Nanoor yesterday as part of a team led by government Chief Whip Syed Md Masih, Bhattacharjee said Birbhum Superintendent of Police Rabindra Nath Mukherjee was being removed as he could not control the situation and a new SP was being posted.

Hore claimed that the police remained a bystander and did nothing to prevent the attackers.

Bhattacharjee admitted that the situation in Birbhum was "complicated and difficult" and alleged the Opposition was trying to create unrest in the district. The CID, which was asked to look into it, has submitted a report on the prevailing situation there, he told the House.