india

Updated: Oct 22, 2019 05:04 IST

A Bengal BJP worker’s mother, Shankari Bagdi, was shot dead in Birbhum district by armed men who were attempting to kill her son on Monday afternoon. Two villagers from Hatselandi in Nanoor were also injured by the assailants, who are at large.

BJP worker Uday Bagdi said the shooters wrongly accused him of having an illicit affair with a married woman in the village when in reality he was targeted for quitting the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the BJP.

“They made up a story about illicit affair,” Uday said, he was backed by BJP Birbhum district president Shyamapada Mandal.

“They were attacked for joining the BJP but the attack was organised under the pretext of a false allegation. They wanted to kill Uday but his mother took the bullet,” said Mandal.

Local Trinamool Congress leader said the BJP was adding “political colour” to a dispute over “illicit” relationship.

“The incident is the fallout of some dispute among villagers. There is no politics in this,” Abhijit Singha, TMC district unit vice president said, adding, “Uday Bagdi had an illicit relationship with a woman and his neighbours protested.”

A police contingent was posted in the area in view of the tension. Villagers stopped the police from taking Bagdi’s body for post-mortem and demanded the arrest of the assailants.

“Preliminary investigation indicates there is no political connection. We are looking for the shooters,” said Shyam Singh, Superintendent of Police, Birbhum district.

In another incident in the Narayangarh area of West Midnapore district, two BJP workers were arrested after a couple of TMC supporters were injured in a clash with BJP workers.