Kolkata: Bengal is politically burning and how. A day after at least three BJP cadres were killed in Basirhat area of Bengal in a violent BJP-TMC clash, the BJP wasn’t allowed to carry the mortal remains to Kolkata for the final rites, turning the situation tenser on Sunday (June 9). The BJP wanted to cremate the cadres at Nimtala crematorium in Kolkata but police didn’t allow the saffron party to carry the mortal remains fearing law and order breakdown.

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A video that has surfaced shows the BJP MP Locket Chatterjee in animated confrontation with police personnel where her move to shift the bodies to Kolkata was stalled. The BJP even threatened to cremate the bodies of all the four of its cadres on the road itself, if stopped. But finally, after negotiation the BJP has agreed to cremate them in Basirhat itself where four of its cadre and one TMC cadre were killed in a deadly clash on Saturday night (June 8).

Meanwhile, the BJP has called for a 12-hour bandh in Basirhat to ‘condemn’ this act of not letting them choose the venue of cremation. The BJP will also observe state-wide ‘black day’ on Monday (June 10). 

BJP’s national secretary Rahul Sinha is quoted to have said, “The mortal remains were being taken to Kolkata as per the wish of the family. There would have been no political meetings or rallies there”.  

On Saturday, 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 reportedly 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.

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This was 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.

Bengal has been extremely violent with the BJP making inroads since panchayat elections and subsequently tasting grand success in Lok Sabha election, storming TMC’s strongholds.