Signalling the alarming situation in Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal where incidents of violence are rapidly rising, another man was allegedly stabbed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers for chanting Jai Shri Ram in Panduranga village of East Burdwan district’s Ketugram area on May 30, 2019.
The victim Sushil Mondal was reportedly a BJP supporter and was chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ while preparing for a victory procession which was to be held on the day of swearing-in of Prime Minister Modi.
Mondal’s chanting of Jai Shri Ram slogans irked the TMC workers who asked him to stop shouting the slogan and take down the flags of the BJP. When Mondal refused to concede, he was repeatedly stabbed by the TMC workers. He was immediately taken to Ketugram Block hospital where he passed away.
Mondal’s wife has alleged that her husband was killed by the TMC workers who had been threatening him and forcing him to stop working for the BJP. She has lodged an FIR against all three suspects. “The three Trinamool workers in our village had been threatening my husband since the results were declared and asking him to stop working for the BJP”, she said.
However, the TMC leaders have denied the allegations and have labelled the incident as ‘the fallout of a family feud’.
Commenting on the incident BJP State President Dilip Ghosh said that such chanting Jai Shri Ram is a crime in the State. “It’s nothing new in Bengal. Chanting the name Lord Ram is treated as a crime here. Those who are committing these crimes will get appropriate answers in due time”, said Ghosh.
Inspector-in-charge of Ketugram, Abu Salim said, “We have received a complaint that named two persons. The accused are on the run. We are investigating the matter including the point whether it was a political murder”.
Mondal is the fifth person to have lost his life in political violence in West Bengal ever since the results of the Lok Sabha elections were announced on May 23.
Recently West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also seen lashing out at the people and threatening to take action against the people chanting Jai Shri Ram.
