A seven-year-old child was killed and nine people, including his mother, were injured in a low-intensity explosion in front of a multi-storey building at Nagerbazar in Kolkata's northern suburbs on Tuesday, police said.
The ruling Trinamool Congress held the BJP and RSS responsible for the blast and alleged that the saffron party was aiming to kill South Dum Dum Municipality chairman and TMC leader Panchu Roy.
The BJP rubbished these charges and demanded a NIA probe into the blast, which shook the windows of neighbouring houses and splinters damaged the shutters of the shops near it.
Calling Roy and other TMC leaders former naxalites, the BJP said the blast was a result of an internal feud in the TMC.
"A 7-year-old child, who was severely injured in the blast, has died in the hospital. Nine other persons are undergoing treatment at two hospitals, among them one is critical," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Barrackpore Commissionerate, Ananda Roy said.
As per the initial investigation, ammonium nitrate was used in the low-intensity blast which was outside a shop on the ground floor of the building in the congested Kazipara area under the jurisdiction of Dum Dum police station around 9 am, the official said.
Also Read
"It was a socket bomb explosion. Forensic team and the bomb squad of CID are examining the spot. We have started further investigation," a police officer said.
A socket bomb is an improvised explosive device.
"Initially, we thought it was a gas cylinder blast. But it was not so. We have found a few iron nails but there is no smell of gunpowder," another senior police officer said.
A forensic team along with CID bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs were sent to the spot to ascertain the nature of the explosion, police said.
Panchu Roy, whose office is in the multi-storeyed building, claimed he was the target of the blast.
The shop outside which the blast took place is the extended office of the municipal chairman. Roy and his party workers are regularly present in the office from 9 am to 10 am in the morning and also a few hours in the evening, the municipality chairman and the locals said.
Roy claimed he was late to reach his office in the morning and the blast took place around 9.05 am.
Roy stopped short of naming any political party, but said the forces, which are currently attacking the ruling TMC all over Bengal, were behind the attack.
"It was a pre-planned blast... They had planned to kill me and other TMC workers, as it would create panic and help them gain foothold in the area," Panchu Roy told PTI.
Asked whether the explosion was a result of infighting within the TMC, he said there was no such issue in south Bengal.
TMC North 24 Parganas district president and state minister Jyotipriyo Mullick, who visited the spot, held the BJP and RSS responsible for the blast and said it was targeted at harming Roy and other party members.
"The blast is an example of deep conspiracy to kill Panchu Roy. This was a very well-planned one. They (the BJP) are trying to create unnecessary problems among the people throughout the state.
"The BJP is trying to play divisive politics. They are shouting against the incident in Islampur but trying to killing Roy here," Mullick said.
Two students died in a clash with the police at Islampur in North Dinajpur district on September 20 over appointment of Urdu and Sanskrit teachers at Daribhita High School.
The state government has ordered CID inquiry into the Islampur incident. BJP had called a state-wide shutdown over it on September 26.
"The RSS and BJP have been attacking our party leaders in various parts of the state. In this area too they have been targeting our party workers. I will request the police to provide all our councillors with security cover as there is a threat to their lives," Mullick told PTI after visiting the blast site.
The minister sought security for all TMC councillors of South Dum Dum Municipality and said he had requested the police to take action against the persons behind the blast.
BJP state president Dilip Ghosh rubbished Mullick's allegations and said it has become a "mania" for the Trinamool Congress to blame his party for almost everything.
He alleged that the TMC party offices have become a "storehouse of bombs" and hence in every blast the name of the ruling party surfaces.
"Panchu Roy, Purendu Basu (state minister), Dola Sen (TMC Rajya Sabha MP) were former naxalites. This blast is a result of their internal feud and all these three TMC leaders are involved in it. We demand a NIA probe into the matter," Ghosh said.
He also questioned the security apparatus in the state.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content