Bengal: BJP worker killed in Nadia, party accuses TMC of 'reign of terror'; ruling party denies role

Krishnanagar (WB), Sep 19 (PTI) The death of a BJP worker in West Bengal's Nadia district has triggered a fierce political slugfest, with the saffron party alleging that assailants linked to the ruling TMC were behind the killing, and the TMC rejecting the charge as "baseless politics over tragedy." The victim, Sanjay Bhowmik (39), was allegedly attacked at his residence in Nabadwip late Wednesday night by a group of men armed with sticks and iron rods.

Family members said one of the attackers was the former driver of a local TMC leader, while another suspect was photographed with another ruling party legislator.

"They have assaulted my son earlier, too. Trinamool men used to occupy the club room nearby, drink and create trouble. This time they came at night, dragged him out and beat him mercilessly," the victim's mother said.

She also alleged that she was assaulted when she tried to intervene.

According to the family's complaint, the accused stood guard outside the house through the night, preventing them from taking the injured to hospital.

Bhowmik was shifted to Nabadwip State General Hospital on Thursday morning, where he was declared dead.

The family has sought a post-mortem examination at Kalyani AIIMS and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation, along with capital punishment for the perpetrators.

BJP leaders sharpened their attack on the ruling party.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari circulated images linking the accused to TMC legislators and said, "Nearly three hundred BJP workers have been murdered in Bengal. The ruling party is trying to rule by fear." State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya alleged that police would go slow in the case.

"They think that by killing BJP workers they will win elections. But the people of Nadia will reject them. We will hunt down the killers even from the farthest corners of the earth once we come to power," he declared.

Senior BJP leader Arjun Singh warned of retaliation if justice was denied.

The TMC shot back.

"Any death is tragic, but there is no political angle here. The police will act against whoever is guilty," TMC MLA Mukut Mani Adhikari said.

Another TMC leader, Bankura MP Arup Chakraborty, accused the BJP of "habitually crying murder" and cited the 2022 case of BJP worker, which a probe concluded was suicide.

"TMC doesn't believe in the politics of violence and killing. Politically, we will defeat the BJP anyway," he said.

Police officials maintained that preliminary findings suggest a drunken brawl, not a political conspiracy.

"We have received a complaint and are investigating all allegations. We have started an investigation and arrests will follow," a senior police official said.

With the assembly elections less than a year away, the killing has amplified the BJP's charge of "state-sponsored terror" and once again put political violence in Bengal under sharp focus. PTI PNT MNB