The body of a 35-year-old man was found hanging in West Bengal's Purulia district today, with the BJP claiming he was a party worker and Union minister Prakash Javadekar alleging that it was a "political murder".
The incident comes three days after the body of another man, Trilochon Mahato (20), who the party said was a member of its youth wing, was found hanging from a tree in the Balarampur area of the same district.
The BJP alleged the deaths were "political murders" and demanded a CBI inquiry into the incidents.
Dulal Kumar was found hanging from a power transmission tower near the fields in Dava village early this morning, district Superintendent of Police Joy Biswas, who has been transferred, told PTI.
No arrest has been made in connection with the incident so far, he said.
An unsigned handwritten note found near Mahato's body stated he was "punished for working for the BJP" during the recent rural polls in the state. However, the police did not find any such note in Kumar's case, Biswas said.
"According to circumstantial evidence, Kumar's death seems to be a case of suicide. We are waiting for the postmortem report," he said.
Kumar's death outraged locals who protested outside the Balarampur police station, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits and removal of the officer-in-charge.
The alleged killings have triggered another round of face-off between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP, which were embroiled in a bitter slugfest during the panchayat elections last month.
The BJP claimed that Kumar was a party worker.
"Distressed to know about yet another killing of BJP karyakarta Dulal Kumar in Balrampur, West Bengal. This continued brutality and violence in the land of West Bengal is shameful and inhuman. Mamata Banerjee's govt has completely failed to maintain law and order in the state," party president Amit Shah tweeted.
Union minister Prakash Javadekar, who was in the city, also attacked the TMC government over the two deaths.
"This is inhuman and the worst kind of crime. We condemn the brutal political murders. The people of West Bengal will definitely teach a lesson to those behind the incidents," he told reporters.
"Nineteen BJP workers have been killed so far (since the panchayat polls). The latest victims were Dulal and Trilochon Mahato," he said.
Union minister and MP Babul Supriyo demanded imposition of President's rule in West Bengal.
"The only constitutional medicine that Mamata Banerjee and her TMC goons require for their barbaric behaviour is imposition of President's rule in West Bengal," Supriyo told PTI.
Hitting out at the Purulia SP for terming Kumar's death a suicide, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha demanded CBI inquiry into the two deaths.
The BJP took out a number of rallies in New Delhi and in parts of the state to protest the death of Mahato.
TMC Rajya Sabha member Derek O' Brien condemned the killings and demanded a detailed probe into them. He, however, did not rule out the involvement of the BJP, the Bajrang Dal or Maoists in the incidents.
"We strongly condemn this despicable killing. All angles must be probed. The perpetrators of this heinous act must be punished. What role did Jharkhand border have to play? What elements of Bajrang Dal, Maoist or BJP involved. Let the truth be found out through proper investigation," he tweeted.
TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee also suspected the Bajrang Dal had a role in the deaths.
The West Bengal government has ordered a CID probe into the killing of Mahato, ADG (Law and Order) Anuj Sharma confirmed.
CID officials said the possible involvement of the people from Jharkhand would also be probed.
"As it is a bordering district, there is a possibility of outsiders being involved in the killings of Mahto and Kumar. These killings could be part of a conspiracy," a senior CID officer told PTI.
The West Bengal government transferred Purulia Superintendent of Police Joy Biswas, officials said adding that he has been replaced by Akash Magharia.
In Purulia, the TMC and the BJP gave a tough fight to each other. They won 839 and 645 seats respectively. Out of the 38 zilla parishad seats, the TMC bagged 26 and the BJP nine.
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