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Updated: May 30, 2019 18:51 IST

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporter was killed on Thursday morning, in a village about 159 km away from Kolkata, on the day Narendra Modi were to be sworn-in as Prime Minister ofr the second time.

Sushil Mondal, 52, was hacked to death in Pandugram village in Ketugram area of East Burdwan district allegedly by ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters when he was shouting Jai Shri Ram slogan in preparation for a victory procession in the afternoon.

Though the area is a part of East Burdwan district, it is under Bolpur parliament constituency that the TMC won. But the BJP took a lead of about 100 votes in Pandugram village.

“It’s nothing new in Bengal. Chanting the name of Lord Ram is treated as a crime here. Those who are committing these crimes will get appropriate answers in due time,” said Dilip Ghosh, the BJP state president.

“On Tuesday, TMC men attacked our supporters in the village. Sushil Mondal was attacked when he was chanting Jai Shri Ram and placing our party flags,” said Anil Datta, a BJP East Burdwan district committee member.

However, TMC leader Swapan Debnath said that there was no political connection with the killing.

“I have heard that the murder took place due to personal disputes. The BJP has started dirty politics by laying the blame at our door,” claimed Debnath.

“We have received a complaint that named two persons. The accused are on the run. We are investigating the matter including the point whether it was a political murder,” said Abu Salim, the inspector-in-charge of Ketugram.

Incidentally, Mondal’s is the fifth life lost in political violence in Bengal since the Lok Sabha election results were declared on May 23.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, however, remarked on Wednesday that none was killed in political violence in the state.

According to locals, Raju Mondal, a TMC supporter, was named in the police complaint.

A few locals also alleged that in the morning there was a quarrel between Raju and Sushil. However, the police complaint had no mention of this dispute.

Mondal was rushed to a local health center where he was declared dead.

On the other hand, on Wednesday night, a TMC office in Chandai village in Barjora area of Bankura was vandalised. “BJP supporters vandalised the office, damaged a few motorcycles and attacked our men inside the party office,” said Alok Mukherjee, TMC leader of Barjora area.