The political violence in West Bengal has reached an alarming stage with the systematic targeting of opposition leaders and workers by the goons of the ruling dispensation. In another shocking incident of violence, a BJP worker named Rabin Paul was lynched to death in the Pathar Ghata village in Kalna in West Bengal.
According to the family members of the victim, the MNREGA work was underway outside his house. When the workers were chopping trees outside the house, Rabin Paul expressed his objection to it. This soon led to a verbal confrontation which later culminated into violence. During the incident, a group of 50 people belonging to the Trinamool Congress lynched Paul to death. He was first beaten mercilessly by the TMC supporters and then taken to another place in the village where Paul was thrashed by the TMC Deputy Chief.
TMC goons denied water to the dying BJP worker, alleges family
When the family learnt about his ordeal, they rushed to the scene. They alleged that the TMC workers stopped the victim’s daughter when she tried to offer him water. The TMC workers also threatened to thrash Paul’s daughter if she tried to help her father. Later, he was picked up by the police and admitted to the Kalna district hospital. A complaint has been filed with the police by the family members of the deceased and a probe into the matter has been initiated.
Deceased BJP worker names TMC in his dying testimony
In his dying testimony, Rabin Paul said, “Tara lok bol niya merecha… Jara 100 din er kaaj koraccha.(They assaulted me in large numbers. Those who were doing the 100-day work (referring to MNREGA))” On being asked to name anyone specific by the reporter, the victim in his dying moments recounted, “Tara party er lok… TMC party er (They are party workers.. TMC workers).”
BJP condemns violence against its worker
On Sunday, the official Twitter handle of BJP Bengal wrote, “Rabin Paul, BJP worker from Kalna was lynched by TMC goons. One more BJP worker loses his life to the bloodthirsty politics of TMC. TMC is trying to remain in power with this reign of brutal terror. BJP will continue fighting against TMC’s politics of violence.”
Rabin Paul, BJP worker from Kalna was lynched by TMC goons. One more BJP worker looses his life to the blood thirsty politics of TMC. TMC is trying to remain in power with this reign of brutal terror. BJP will continue fighting against TMC’s politics of violence. pic.twitter.com/bv0b1PzyDg
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) September 6, 2020
BJP National General Secretary, Kailash Vijayvargiya, also took to Twitter to condemn the incident. He wrote, “BJP worker Rabin Paul was attacked and murdered by the TMC goons in Kalna, West Bengal. The politics of violence has reached its extreme limits. Protected and sheltered by Mamata Banerjee, the hooligans want to reign in terror in the mind of the BJP workers. We will not be afraid. How long will this anarchy continue?”
पश्चिम बंगाल के कालना के भाजपा कार्यकर्ता श्री रॉबिन पॉल पर #TMC के गुंडों ने हमला करके उन्हें मार डाला। ये हिंसा की राजनीति का चरम है। ममता सरकार से संरक्षण पाए गुंडे अपना आतंक फ़ैलाकर भाजपा को डराना चाहते हैं।
— Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) September 6, 2020
पर, हम डरेंगे नहीं, आखिर ये अराजक राज कब तक चलेगा। pic.twitter.com/X4fnWhNjn6
“The murder was executed by Badal Patra who is an active TMC worker. Under the pretext of 100-day work, they had come to attack him. Over a minor issue regarding the chopping of trees, a group of 50-60 people lynched Rabin Paul to death. It is a heinous crime. We have now demanded a CBI investigation,” a BJP leader told ABP Ananda.
TMC cries foul, accuses deceased BJP worker of initiating violence
In his defence, TMC Deputy Chief (Kalna) said, “We were carrying out the 100-day work. I was cutting the trees adjoining the road. And then he (Rabin Paul) came to hit me and forcibly held me by my head and put me down. “
Dismissing the claims, a local TMC leader said, “This is a complete lie. Badal Patra was overseeing the 100-day work when Rabin Paul came to attack him with a sharp weapon. He attacked Patra unprovoked. The attack was so lethal that he had to get 20-25 stitches. He is in critical condition now. Rabin Paul would roam around with a weapon in his hand. The TMC party workers had to live in fear because of him.
BJP worker mysteriously dies in police custody
On August 28, miscreants robbed two businessmen of around a lac rupees on National Highway-34 at Ghughudanga in Raiganj in West Bengal. The police had initially arrested four people in connection to the incident. However, on August 2, a BJP worker named Anup Kumar Roy was brought to the Raignaj police station for interrogation. According to the police officials, the BJP worker had fallen ill during his time at the police station. He was then rushed to the Raiganj Medical College and Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
While speaking to reporters, state BJP President Dilip Ghosh said, “A BJP worker, who had joined the party 8 months ago after leaving CPIM, was pulled up from his house in Itahar by the police. He was then assaulted severely so much so that his kidney got destroyed. He was then taken to another place and was shot 5 times. His family members were not informed. The civic police picked up his body, conducted post-mortem at night, and then informed the family to take away the body. All of this is illegal. Why was he taken to the police station? Why was he assaulted by the cops? And most importantly, why were bullets fired at him?”
