BJP man stabbed to death in West Bengal

Days after Union Minister Smriti Irani’s BJP aide was killed in Amethi, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was stabbed to death in West Bengal’s West Burdwan district on Thursday.

Party members alleged that Sushil Mondal, 49, was murdered by people affiliated to Trinamool Congress during a brawl over BJP’s flags being put at Panduk village.

Local Trinamool leaders, however, claimed that Mondal was a victim of his own party’s internal feud.

The local police said Mondal’s wife had lodged a complaint against three people, who are absconding.

According to the complaint filed with the police, Mondal was putting up BJP flags in the village when three persons objected and, during an altercation, one of the three stabbed Mondal with a dagger in the abdomen.

When taken to a local hospital, the BJP activist was declared dead, the police complaint said.

The FIR named three accused but did not mention their political affiliation. However, the three are locally known as TMC workers.

Local TMC MLA Sheikh Sahnawaz said the party was not connected to the incident and the killing was a result of the BJP’s internal bickering.

Local BJP leader Anil Dutta said TMC killed Mondal to create terror in the area as the saffron party has performed well in the Lok Sabha elections.

District Superintendent of Police Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay, however, said Mondal was killed following a quarrel between the two over grazing goats.

The incident occurred hours before Narendra Modi’s swearing-in as the prime minister for a second term in Delhi.

Family members of over 40 BJP workers, who were killed in political violence in West Bengal, have been invited for the programme. 

— Inputs from PTI