india

Updated: Sep 28, 2019 16:02 IST

A Trinamool Congress party local leader was hacked to death in Bengal’s South Dinajpur district on Friday night at Gangarampur--about 400 km from Kolkata-- following which two persons believed to be BJP supporters, were arrested.

62-years old Santosh Das was attacked, while returning home from a meeting of party supporters, with sharp weapons in Kaldighi area and found lying in a pool of blood by locals who rushed to help after hearing him scream. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

“Two persons have already been arrested. The miscreants attacked Das, who was returning home on foot around 10 pm, before fleeing on motorcycles,” said Purnendu Kundu, the inspector-in-charge of Gangarampur police station.

Local TMC leader Amalendu Sarkar said, “Goons backed by the BJP were behind the crime. Since they won the Lok Sabha elections here, they have been trying to create trouble.” Gangarampur is a part of Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency that was won by Sukanta Majumdar of the BJP.

Local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders said arrested party supporters were being framed.

“They are laying the blame at our door to malign us. None from our party is involved in the murder. If police investigate properly, they would find out that Das was a victim of inner party rivalry,” South Dinajpur district secretary of the BJP, Bapi Sarkar said.

BJP district president Subhendu Sarkar alleged Das was killed by “the supporters of another faction” of the ruling party. “But police have arrested two of our supporters who have no role in the crime,” said Sarkar.

At least 25 lives have been lost in political clashes in Bengal since the Lok Sabha election results were announced on May 23.