Tension in Basirhat, teargas shells used to control mob

Kolkata: The violence that had rocked Basirhat in North 24—Parganas for the last three days over a controversial Facebook post claimed its first victim: A 65-year-old man died of stab wounds. Following the death, a scuffle broke out between BJP workers and Trinamul Congress supporters in front of the R.G. Kar Hospital with senior BJP leaders like Kailash Vijayvargiya and Dilip Ghosh trying to enter the hospital claiming to stand by the family of the deceased. Trinamul Congress workers blocked the vehicles of Mr Vijayvargiya and Mr Ghosh.

A team of three BJP MPs — Meenakshi Lekhi, Satpal Singh and Om Mathur — will visit Basirhat on Friday for an on-the-spot investigation, following which they will submit a report to party president Amit Shah.

Meanwhile, fresh tension was reported in Basirhat area on Thursday forcing the police to lob teargas shells and resort to baton charge even as life crippled to normalcy in strife-torn Baduria in North 24 —Parganas district.

Read: 65-year-old stabbed to death in West Bengal riots

“Fresh tension brewed up at Basirhat town and station area after the communal clashes in Baduria in the district. Police had to resort to cane charge and teargas shells to disperse unruly crowd,” a senior police officer said. Police and BSF teams immediately rushed to the area to bring the situation under control, he said.

Read: Mamata unable to control law and order, should resign: BJP on Bengal violence

According to the BJP,  Kartik Ghosh, a resident of Bhyabla in Basirhat subdivision, was allegedly attacked with sharp weapons on Wednesday when he was returning home from the market on a motorcycle. Kartik was rushed to R.G. Kar Medical College Hospital where he died in the early hours on Thursday. After the death was announced, a scuffle broke out between BJP workers and Trinamul supporters at the R.G. Kar Hospital premises with the ruling party supporters bent on preventing BJP workers and leaders from meeting the family members of the deceased. As BJP national secretary Mr Vijayvargiya and state president Mr Ghosh went to the hospital they were prevented from entering allegedly by Trinamul Congress workers who claimed that the leaders’ entry would cause disturbance for the patients inside the hospital.

“He was a worker of our party. We came here to offer condolence and meet his family members. But Trinamul Congress workers did not allow us to meet them,” said  BJP national secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. He added that he would ask chief minister Mamata Banerjee why are they being stopped from meeting the family members instead of taking action against the rioters.

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BJP state president claimed Ghosh was the ward president of the party in Basirhat. However, the two sons of the deceased Provasish and Debasish, claimed that their father was not involved with any political party. A large police team led by deputy commissioner (North) of Kolkata police rushed to the spot and was able to bring situations under control after more than an hour.

Trinamul Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, “They are claiming that the deceased is a BJP worker. What was he doing there. This proves that they are trying to incite violence in Darjeeling as well as in other areas.” A delegation from the state Congress and the state Left Front will also visit the areas that has been rocked by violence on  Friday.