Amid the ongoing violence ahead of the Panchayat elections in West Bengal, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader was brutally murdered in Malda on 17 June. Mustafa Sheikh, the former village head of Sujapur, was attacked and killed by a group of people, who are alleged to be Congress party members. The victim’s family has accused the assailants, who were previously associated with the TMC, of beating and lynching Mustafa Sheikh with bamboo sticks. According to reports, one 48-year-old accused Abdul Mannan has been detained.
Local villagers took to the streets, blocking roads to protest against the murder of the TMC leader.
Mustafa Sheikh was beaten to death with bamboo sticks around noon when he was on his way home after offering Namaz at a mosque. According to the family, the assailants are former TMC workers who were angry after not getting tickets for the upcoming Panchayat polls.
#UPDATE | The 48-year-old accused Abdul Mannan, has been detained. Further investigation underway: Malda Police https://t.co/yHWSUx8qyp
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023
The Congress party has denied any involvement in the incident, stating it was an internal conflict within the TMC. Kali Sadhan Roy, the district executive committee chairman of Congress, distanced the party from the crime.
Sabina Yasmin, TMC leader and the state minister, shed light on the sequence of events. She revealed that the attackers were members of the TMC but had recently switched allegiance to the Congress party after being denied tickets for the upcoming panchayat elections. According to her statement, Mustafa Sheikh was attacked by the Congress candidates immediately after he had finished offering namaz.
She called it a ‘political murder’, saying that the attackers killed the TMC leader for not getting TMC tickets, and later they joined Congress and got tickets there.
The State Election Commission has requested a detailed report from the district collector regarding the incident. They are keen to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident on the day of scrutiny. Additionally, a report on the unrest has also been requested.
Mustafa Sheikh and his wife Jibu Bibi were former heads of the panchayat, but this time they didn’t file nominations, opting to concentrate on organisational matters.
Amidst the filing of nomination papers for the upcoming panchayat polls in West Bengal, the situation has become increasingly volatile. A staggering 2,36,464 nominations have been filed for approximately 74,000 seats. Unfortunately, this process has been marred by violence, resulting in five deaths and numerous injuries in various locations.
In a concerning incident, Union minister Nisith Pramanik’s convoy was allegedly attacked in the Behar district of Bengal. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused workers from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of instigating these attacks. However, the TMC vehemently denies these allegations. Nisith Pramanik expressed his dismay at the deteriorating law and order situation, citing instances of chaos, stone-throwing, and bomb hurling. He further claimed that TMC workers assaulted BJP party members and destroyed the nomination papers of their candidates. In response, the BJP has demanded the arrest of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, holding her responsible for the prevailing violence.
These unfortunate incidents highlight the recurring failure of the state government and administration in maintaining law and order. Instances of violence and political clashes during the panchayat election process have been reported from various parts of West Bengal. The escalating tensions between rival political parties raise concerns about the safety and security of individuals involved in the electoral process.
The murder of Mustafa Sheikh underscores the urgent need for effective measures to prevent such acts of violence and to ensure the peaceful conduct of elections. The State Government and administration must address these lapses, take swift action against the culprits, and establish robust mechanisms to maintain law and order in the state. Failure to do so undermines the democratic fabric of the region and jeopardizes the safety of its citizens.
