A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was killed on Friday in Coochbehar district of West Bengal.
Prashant Rai Basunia was shot dead at his house in Dinhata. The mother of the deceased said that her son was an active BJP worker and he was murdered for political reasons.
The murder, which took place ahead of the panchayat elections in the state, evoked sharp political reactions and BJP leaders reached the house of the deceased. BJP supporters blocked the road in Dinhata in protest against the death.
Reacting to the killing, Leader of the Opposition Shubhendu Adhikari said the state’s law and order situation had broken down. “BJP leader Prashant Ray Basunia shot dead in Dinhata; Cooch Behar District; West Bengal. The assailants forced their way into his house and shot him,” Mr. Adhikari said on social media.
The BJP leader raised the demand for an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). “Hundreds of party members are leaving the regional TMC party in Dinhata and joining the BJP every day. The defection caused a stir in the top-level leadership of the TMC party. This heinous political assassination is a reaction. I demand a CBI inquiry as any fair investigation by the police will be hindered or influenced by the ruling party due to the involvement of “influential” people,” Mr Adhikari said on social media.
Dinhata MLA and North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said the murder was a result of factionalism within the BJP. In the past few weeks, several murders took place and the state BJP leadership blamed the Trinamool Congress for the killings. Between 27 April and 2 May, three BJP supporters were killed.
On May 2, BJP worker Bijaykrishna Bhunia was killed in the state’s Purba Medinipur district and earlier on April 29, BJP leader Rajendra Shaw was shot dead on National Highway-19 under Jamuria police station in Asansol. Rajbanshi youth Mrityunjay Barman was murdered on April 27 in Kaliganj.