Party workers' murder in political clashes: Confusion over Bengal BJP's letter to governor

KOLKATA: The Bengal BJP’s letter to governor Jagdeep Dhankhar gave rise to confusions over the number of party workers allegedly murdered in political clashes. In the letter written to Dhankhar, the BJP demanded a CBI enquiry into the death of Hemtabad MLA Debendranath Roy and claimed that since 2017 a total of 105 party workers were killed in political clashes.

“The incident reminds us of similar gruesome murders by hanging committed by Trinamool goons during panchayat election in 2018. In Puruliya Trilochan Mahato and Dulal Kumar, both young karyakartas of the BJP were murdered. Since 2017 (pre-panchayat polls) 105 BJP karyakartas or supporters were brutally killed by ruling party goons—and none of the accused area behind the bars at present,” the letter read.

The BJP has earlier claimed that a total of 93 workers were killed in political clashes in West Bengal since 2013. Last year the party’s national president J P Nadda performed tarpan of 80 karyakartas killed in political violence. The Bengal BJP’s media in-charge Saptarshi Chowdhury said, “Family members of 93 party workers have so far spoken to media detailing the gruesome killings of those karyakartas.”

“There are some party workers whose family members got afraid or were intimidated. Take, for example, case of a party worker in Birbhum, his family members were so intimidated that they did not mention his association with the BJP. Threat and intimidation on BJP workers in West Bengal is continuing unabated,” Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.