The violence apparently broke out over hoisting the BJP party flag. Bullets were fired and sharp weapons were used in this small town of Sandeshkhali, which is around 65 km from Kolkata.
Basirhat: If Bengal was going through a brief lull after a violent election, Saturday brought in the storm. Four political workers— three of BJP and one of Trinamool — were reportedly killed in a deadly clash at Sandeshkhali in Basirhat, North 24 Paraganas.
The violence apparently broke out over hoisting the BJP party flag. Bullets were fired and sharp weapons were used in this small town 65 km from Kolkata. The Bengal BJP has confirmed three of their supporters were killed.
In a tweet, the party said, “She is getting desperate with each passing moment as she loses peoples' support. In her bid to retain power at any cost, killing opposition party members is the new normal in Bengal.”
. ’s goons shot 3 BJP workers dead in Basirhat, West Bengal.
She is getting desperate with each passing moment as she loses peoples' support. In her bid to retain power at any cost, killing opposition party members is the new normal in Bengal.
The BJP identifies the deceased as Pradip Mondal, Tapan Mandal and Sukanta Mondal. Pradip was a mandal president while the other two were shakti pramukhs. The TMC worker killed has been identified as Qayum Molla. Reports are trickling in that the block development officer of Sandeshkhali area has also sustained injuries. The clash broke out on Saturday evening.
Details of murdered and missing BJP workers:
Sukanta Mandal (shot in his eyes)
Pradip Mandal (shot in his eyes)
Tapan Mandal (shot in the forehead)
Shankar Mandal (Missing)
Debdas Mandal (Missing)
Sanjoy Mandal (Missing)
Sanjay Mandal’s brother in law is also missing. pic.twitter.com/dVmR2GyD4F
Also read: No end to Bengal violence: Another BJP cadre killed in Burdwan as Modi swears in
This is the first major clash between the two parties after the Jai Shri Ram row. The BJP got a stunning 18 seats in Bengal, a state where it was virtually non-existent even a few years ago.
After the violence-ridden election, many BJP cadres were killed in the state allegedly by TMC goons. One was Chandan Shaw, who was found murdered in Bhatpara in Barrackpore constituency. Just days before the murder, another 22-year-old BJP worker was shot dead allegedly by the ruling Trinamool cadre in Chakdah. Meanwhile, the TMC too had claimed two its cadres were killed allegedly by the BJP worker after the election results.
During the election campaign, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had vowed revenge. Mamata had threatened, "I will remember everything. The atrocities and humiliations heaped on my state, and it will not go unpunished. I have all the records and documents with me. I will take revenge for what is being done to me inch by inch. All those who are perpetrating the offence should remember this."
Bengal has been extremely violent with the BJP making inroads since panchayat elections and subsequently tasting grand success in Lok Sabha polls, storming TMC’s strongholds.
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