india

Updated: Jun 23, 2019 07:56 IST

Two persons with affiliations to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been killed in separate districts of West Bengal since Friday night, even as ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) traded charges over the ongoing incidents of political violence in the state.

BJP MP from Barrackpore Arjun Singh in Amdanga said Nazimul Karim (23) was assaulted late on Friday in Amdanga area of North 24 Parganas district, and succumbed to his injuries early on Saturday.

“Karim was an active worker of our party. In the Lok Sabha elections, he worked for us. TMC supporters killed a young man simply because he switched to the BJP from a different party (CPI-M),” Singh added.

Rejecting the allegations, TMC leader Saukat Ali said: “There is no connection of politics with this incident. He was killed after an altercation with two persons who were inebriated.”

Deputy Superintendent of Police (headquarters), North 24 Parganas, Kalyan Kumar Roy, said: “We are investigating the matter and exploring all aspects.”

Late on Saturday, police said, angry villagers also ransacked a police vehicle in the area.

Locals said Karim was beaten with sticks by a few men on Friday night when he was returning home after buying medicines.

Tension also spread in Khandaghosh village of East Burdwan district on Saturday, after the body of one Gopal Pal was found in front of his grocery shop.

BJP leader Sandip Nandi alleged that Pal was a BJP supporter who was killed by TMC workers. The allegation has been dismissed by TMC leader Nabin Chandra Bag, saying, “None from my party are involved in this incident. BJP is making false claims. Let police investigate.”

Officer-in-charge of Khandaghosh police station, Sudip Das, said, “We have found a towel that could have been used to strangulate him.” Later, BJP supporters led by MP Saumitra Khan blocked a road in the area to protest the murder of Gopal Pal.

With two more killings, the number of lives lost in the political violence in the state since Lok Sabha results were declared on May 23 has risen to 20.