Just two days before the state’s crucial Panchayat elections, scheduled to be held on July 8 this year, another horrific murder of a BJP worker has been reported from Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal. According to reports, on July 06, 2023, the body of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker, identified as Dilip Mahara, was found near a pond in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
The family members of the victim and the BJP has accused the members of the ruling Trinamool Congress Party to be behind the murder.
Chitre Mahara, Dilip Mahara’s wife, alleged that her husband was murdered by members of the ruling Trinamool Congress. Utpal Mahara, the deceased’s son, said his father was assassinated by Kali Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress’ Birbhum district joint convener.
“I was not able to find my father since 9 pm. He has been killed by the men of Kali Banerjee (Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district joint convener). Let him be arrested. I want punishment for them. Let the case be investigated,” the deceased’s son told the media.
BJP also tweeted, “Dilip Mahara (48), an active BJP worker from Birbhum killed by the TMC, is another victim of TMC’s violent ‘blood politics’. ‘Khela’ of blood is being played during the elections in Bengal! The bloodthirsty politics of the TMC will be put to an end by the people soon!”
Dilip Mahara (48), an active BJP worker from Birbhum killed by the TMC, is another victim of TMC’s violent ‘blood politics’.
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) July 6, 2023
‘Khela’ of blood is being played during the elections in Bengal! The bloodthirsty politics of the TMC will be put to an end by the people soon! pic.twitter.com/XbhnrHclmv
The police, meanwhile, confirmed that Dilip, a resident of the Muhammad Bazar block, was killed using a sharp weapon. They, however, added that the actual cause of his death is yet to be ascertained. It confirmed that an investigation has been launched, but no arrests have been made so far.
Local BJP leaders are planning to Gherao the Muhammad Bazar Police Station.
As per reports, Chitre Mahara, Dilip Mahara’s wife was to supposed to file nomination papers as a BJP candidate, however, the party said it did not give her the ticket.
TMC leader Kali Banerjee, meanwhile, retorted sharply to the allegation levelled at him by the deceased’s son. “Trinamool does not do politics of murders. Let them investigate his death. Our workers are not involved,” he said.
Trinamool District vice-president Malay Mukhopadhyay said, “The BJP is doing politics for profit. Let the police investigate the murder”.
Notably, Dilip Mahara is one of the 17 people who have fallen victim to the wave of political violence that has been unleashed by the goons affiliated with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party since the start of the filing of poll nominations.
The ongoing violence in West Bengal is part of the ruling dispensation’s playbook to intimidate the Opposition parties. The State has witnessed similar cases during the infamous 2021 Vidhan Sabha election and the 2022 civic body polls.
